Air India staff protest pay cut, demand arrears ahead of privatisation

Unions ask pilots not to undertake extra duties, AIEU seeks with aviation minister on leave encashment, continuation of medical benefits, among other things

Air India staff unions are protesting what they call an 'unfair' pay cut and have demanded continuation of medical benefits and payment of arrears before privatisation of the company takes place.

While the pilot unions have asked their members not to undertake extra duties, Air India Employees Union (AIEU) has sought a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on issues such as payment of arrears, leave encashment, and continuation of medical benefits. The AIEU also wants continuation of welfare facilities such as free tickets and amenities such as housing, transport, and canteens to continue after privatisation, said General Secretary Parag Ajgaonkar.

On Saturday, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association and the Indian Pilots Guild issued a directive to their members to not extend their duty time in order to protest the pay cut.

"We have been very patient in the face of mounting neglect by the management during Covid-19 and have left no stone unturned to ensure smooth flight operations continue. The top management, however, has seen it fit to heap discrimination against us under the guise of the ongoing pandemic by unilaterally imposing draconian pay cuts on pilots, while absolving itself from any fiscal responsibility towards the national carrier or its front line employees. This pathetic 3 per cent decrease in the gross cut on our emoluments is the final straw," ICPA General Secretary T Praveen Keerthi and IPG General Secretary Kanav Hingorani wrote to their members.

Pilot duty hours and rest periods are governed by regulations. These stipulate the maximum flying a pilot can undertake, which varies for short-haul and long-haul flights. For a Delhi-London flight with two pilots operating, the duty time of 13 hours is allowed. A technical or weather-related departure delay could breach the maximum permissible duty time limit, and a pilot would have to take regulatory approval for the same.

"With the union directive, pilots can refuse to operate a particular flight if it exceeds duty time. The airline would have to summon other pilots and it could lead to further delays," a senior pilot said. An Air India spokesperson refused comment.