The talks between Air India’s striking pilots and the civil aviation ministry remained inconclusive for the second day on the issue of pay parity between the government carrier’s two erstwhile components, Indian Airlines and Air India. The strike is by pilots of the former.
The strikers are hopeful of a solution in one or two days. “The government is making an attempt and we are also giving our 100 per cent, with a hope that the matter will be resolved,” said Rishab Kapur, general secretary, Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), the union of the erstwhile IA pilots.
AI’s chairman and managing director, Arvind Jadhav, said all the issues were being discussed and an amicable solution would be reached soon.
“The whole issue is stuck on the parity issue. The pilots want their salaries to be fixed on 70-hour flying basis and increase in their foreign allowances before calling off the strike,” said a government official, who did not want to be identified.
He said this was not possible because a committee was working on it and it cannot be done only for the pilots.
Around 800 pilots from ICPA and 150 executive pilots are on strike for the past nine days. The carrier is estimated to have incurred a revenue loss of over Rs 200 crore. The pilots are demanding parity in their wages with counterparts from erstwhile Air India, who get a fixed component. The ICPA pilots are paid on an hourly basis.
Meanwhile, The All India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA), which represents cabin crew of both erstwhile IA and AI, has supported the demand for parity of emoluments in both carriers for flying categories.
“Cabin crew in the erstwhile Indian Airlines are being discriminated against and we demand enhancement of cabin crew emoluments as well, along with 80 hours guaranteed flying hours allowance for all flying crew (cockpit & cabin crew of both carriers),” said a release from the AICCA. Today, AI operated only 32 domestic flights from the six major metros. However, Air India International, Air India Express and Alliance operated a total of 198 flights, including 14 additional flights.
