Air India Pilots Warn Of ‘Industrial Action’ If Salary Payment Issues Aren’t Resolved: Report

The pilots have demanded the release of 25 per cent arrears along with interest, a statement of gratuity, an option of leave encashment, medical benefits for permanent employees among other demands

Representative Image

New Delhi: In connection to the payment-related issues, a total of about 900 Air India pilots, representing their two unions – the Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) and the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) – have warned of "industrial action" in absence of any resolution soon.

The warning comes on the back of protest from pilots over an “illegal pay-cut” of 55 per cent, according to the Hindustan Times report. In a letter to Air India’s former chairman and managing director Rajiv Bansal, the pilots have demanded payment as per the market standards as the beleaguered airline is looking to be acquired by Tata Group.

Among their several demands, the pilots have demanded the release of 25 per cent arrears along with interest, a statement of gratuity, an option of leave encashment, medical benefits for permanent employees, tax-related implications of withheld layover substance allowance, and the release of pending grades to first officers.

In a letter, the pilots said they gave “more than enough” time to the Air India management to resolve the issues listed, as per the report.

Going by the report, in a letter dated November 17, the pilot wrote, “It is inexcusable that even now when we are in the 11th and a half-hour before the disinvestment process [is completed], there is not even a concrete roadmap, let alone a satisfactory resolution.”

The letter addressed to Air India’s former chairman and managing director Rajiv Bansal who is currently civil aviation secretary, it said, “This state of affairs is no longer tenable. If we do not see the issues… addressed and communicated to us, we will have no choice but to seek justice through ‘industrial action."

 “Any disruption of operations and its fallout will be attributable to director personnel, who are directly responsible for the abysmal management of these HR issues,” the pilots warned.