Air India employee unions move HC, challenges 10% deductions in salary

The petitions filed by Air India Aircraft Engineers’ Association (AIEA), All India Service Engineers Association and Indian Pilots Guild, through advocates Jane Cox and Karishma Rao, are likely to come up for hearing next week.

Three Air India employee unions have moved the Bombay high court on Thursday challenging 10% deduction in their salary on account of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The petition said that on March 20, 2020, Air India announced 10% deduction for three months from the allowance package of all employees, except the cabin crew, on account of the impact of coronavirus. (ANI)

The petitions filed by Air India Aircraft Engineers’ Association (AIEA), All India Service Engineers Association and Indian Pilots Guild, through advocates Jane Cox and Karishma Rao, are likely to come up for hearing next week.

Both groups of engineers are employed by Air India Engineering Services Limited, a 100% subsidiary of Air India, while the pilots are employed directly by the national carrier.

The petition said that on March 20, 2020, Air India announced 10% deduction for three months from the allowance package of all employees, except the cabin crew, on account of the impact of coronavirus.

“It is in blatant violation of the directives issued by Government of India, especially government order dated 29 March 2020, prohibiting employers from making any pay cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, regardless of whether or not establishments are operational,” states petition filed by AIEA and adds that the state authorities are personally liable for the implementation of the government order.

It adds that in the case of most of the employees’ allowances form a major part of their wage bracket and in some case it exceeds 60℅ of their monthly salary, resulting in large deductions. The petition states that the deduction for March 2020 was most shocking, as the employees have worked for 24 days during the month before the nationwide lockdown was imposed.

The petition adds that even otherwise employer-employee relationship continues and since the employees are willing to work, the employers are bound to pay their agreed monthly wages. Such wage deduction amounts to a change in service condition and therefore in breach of legal provisions, it adds.

The unions have urged the court to restrain Air India and AIESL from making any further deductions from their future salaries. They have also sought a direction for payment of the 10℅ allowances deducted from their March 2020 salaries.