Air India pilots threaten ‘industrial action’ if salaries not restored

Pilots of the national carrier Air India have threatened ‘industrial action’ if their salaries are not restored substantially.

In a letter to the airline CMD Rajiv Bansal the pilots’ union - Indian Pilots’s Guild and Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association - have threatened to go on strike protesting an over 50% cut in their salaries.

“We have given the management every benefit of doubt as well as ample time to redress the issue of disproportionate pay cut for pilots of Air India and its subsidiaries so there is no point left in mincing words. If we do not see a timely substantial reduction in this disproportionate pay cut, we will be forced to seek justice through harsher means including “Industrial Action”,” the letter read.

Pilots say that their salaries were cut by about 58% and the airline has now agreed to restore 5% of the cut, which the pilots have now rejected.

“We do not accept this paltry 5% roll back in illegal pay cut and you may advice the concerned to donate this 5% towards funds for building the Parliament or PM CARE,” the pilots’ association said.

The airline, on its part, have always maintained that the cut in salaries of pilots have been high due to non operation of flights, as a substantial part of their salaries are allowances linked to flying.

All airline had cut salaries of employees, including pilots, as COVID impacted earnings of airlines. Among airlines, market leader IndiGo has been the first in starting the process of restoring salaries of employees.