The unions have additionally opposed modification to rostering insurance policies.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS
In its first main labour problem since privatisation, two unions representing Air India pilots have threatened to strike work over the revised phrases of employment and salaries introduced by the airline earlier this week.
The Indian Commercial Pilots Association representing Air India’s narrow-body plane pilots, and the Indian Pilots Guild, which contains pilots from its wide-body fleet, have written to Air India’s CEO Campbell Wilson opposing the airline’s revision of phrases of employment. They have warned the airline in opposition to its makes an attempt to interrupt the union.
“To forcibly promote almost all the permanent workmen of the union to the so-called Senior Commander the management cadre…it is clear that there is a concerted effort to gut the unions and isolate pilots. This amounts to unfair labour practices,” stated the joint letter.
The unions have additionally opposed modification to rostering insurance policies, which they are saying will lead to pilots being anticipated to be on name 24×7. Further, they are saying that the time period “cost to company” of their agreements was deceptive they usually have been being provided a assured pay package deal for under 40 hours from the earlier 70 hours.
“If a pilot is on leave, or is unavailable due to recurrent training or document or licence renewals, not to mention any sick leave, there is an automatic pay cut involved,” the letter provides.
The unions have threatened that failing sufficient response from the airline, they are going to maintain a vote amongst their 1,100 members for a strike.
“A large number of pilots and cabin crew have already accepted the new contracts, and the salary improvements and advancement opportunities they enable. The airline will continue to engage with the remainder of its staff through this process as currently there is no recognised union in Air India,” the airline stated in a press assertion in response to the joint letter.
It added that the “new compensation structure for pilots and cabin crew is our endeavour to bring in parity among different groups, encourage productivity and boost emoluments drawn by them” and that by designating skilled pilots as ‘senior commanders’, it was recognising their contribution and in addition providing a particular month-to-month allowance.
