Air India pilots demand allowances before privatisation
ICPA writes a letter to Government demanding the release of their “illegally withheld 25% flying allowances” and other dues.
A union of Air India pilots on Wednesday asked the government to clear their salary arrears before the airline is privatised. The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) wrote a letter to Civil Aviation Minister A Gajapati Raju demanding the release of their “illegally withheld 25 per cent flying allowances and related allowances before disinvestment and/or privatization.”.
The national carrier had resorted to salary cuts in 2012 for its employees as part of its turnaround plan. Since then, arrears have been accumulating even as certain sections of employees accepted revised pay scales. The letter by the pilots’ union comes in the backdrop of the Union Cabinet approving disinvestment of Air India and appointing a group of ministers to chalk out the future course of action for the airline, which is saddled with a debt of Rs. 48,876.81 crore as on March 31.
“We make a humble appeal to the government to issue orders for release of our illegally withheld 25 per cent flying allowances and related allowances before disinvestment and/or privatisation so that the new management can start with clean financial statements,” says the ICPA letter.
The ICPA, which claims to have more than 1,000 members, represents the pilots of narrow-bodied planes of Air India. The arrears to be paid to the 27,000-odd staff of Air India that includes pilots and cabin crew are estimated to be around Rs. 1,200 crore. Out of the total amount, about Rs. 400 crore is due for pilots, according to a senior pilot.
The union, however, said that they were not against the decision of privatisation. “We are not averse to the decision of the government as we are confident that the government will act keeping in mind the best interest of the airline which has served the nation for decades,” the letter said. Fearing loss of jobs, other employees’ unions of Air India have warned of large scale protests if the government went ahead with privatisation of the airline.
News Source: PTI
You might also like
India’s first aviation university to be inaugurated on Aug 18
The central university was planned as an autonomous body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The country’s first aviation university at Fursatganj in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae
CG Hotels & Resorts expands its footprints in India
Launches two properties this month in Amritsar and Mundra under The Fern brand. CG Hotels and Resorts, a leading hospitality management company launches two business hotels under their The
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Gaurav Chandna as General Manager of Hyatt Ahmedabad
With over 20 years of rich experience in the hospitality industry, Gaurav brings a unique blend of operational excellence, people-centric leadership, and a deep passion for guest experience. A Hotel
