Jet Airways pilots' union NAG today held discussions with the airline management on the decision to steeply cut salaries of junior pilots, a union official said.
The representative of the National Aviators' Guild (NAG) said basically all pending issues, including the move to reduce salaries of junior pilots by 30 per cent, were discussed.
"The management told us that there are excess number of pilots at the airline and if the salaries were not cut, then those pilots might have to be laid off," NAG President D Balaraman told PTI after the nearly three-hour long meeting.
Last month, the airline had asked its junior pilots to take 10 days off every month, which translates to 30 per cent salary cut, as part of cost-saving measures.
Citing today's deliberations, Balaraman said the management informed that there are close to 200 junior pilots but the union is of the view that are only 60 of them in excess.
According to him, the airline is also looking to find placement for the excess number of pilots.
"Earlier also, when there were excess pilots (at Jet Airways), some of them were sent to Etihad on 1-3 year contract. After completion of the contracts, they came back to Jet Airways," he said.
Among others, Balaraman said the airline is trying to phase out all the expat pilots.
"We also took up the issue of demotion of some pilots and they (management) said there is a procedure of appeal in the company, the due process is to be followed and then action will be taken," Balaraman said.
NAG, which represents around 1,000 pilots, would have another round of meeting with the management on August 17.
Grappling with financial challenges amid intense competition, the full service carrier has decided to freeze increments for the staff in the current fiscal year. It had taken this step in 2016-17 too.
The increment freeze would be reviewed post declaration of the first quarter (April-June) results of FY 2017-18, Jet Airways had told its pilots in a communication in April.
The first quarter results would be announced next month.
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