AI staff to go on strike over salaries paid to ‘select few’

An umbrella body comprising Air India pilots, engineers, cabin crew personnel and ground staff have threatened an agitation alleging discrimination in payment of salaries, Soubhik Mitra reports.

An umbrella body comprising Air India pilots, engineers, cabin crew personnel and ground staff have threatened an agitation alleging discrimination in payment of salaries.

HT Image

The body representing seven employee unions on Tuesday wrote to the civil aviation minister Ajit Singh that the airline might have to face a “no pay, no work” agitation if it fails to treat all employees equally.

According to the letter, the airline has been biased towards pilots and cabin crew personnel. Last November, it paid four salary units comprising two months’ salaries and performance-linked incentives (a major salary component) for two months to flight crew personnel. However, the rest of the employees were paid only two units, the letter claimed.

“We had told the management that there should no discrimination between pilots and peons while making payments as everybody is giving it their all for the revival of Air India,” said a member of the body requesting anonymity.

The employees said after a dispute over the November salaries, the management said discrimination would not take place, but salaries had again been paid to select section of the staff.