NEW DELHI: Air India pilots have warned of "industrial action" that may lead to disruption of operations if their genuine demands are not met before the airline's impending handover to the new owners, Tata Group.
The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA, unions of erstwhile Indian Airlines' pilots) has written to the management alleging that the employee-related issues were not being informed to the new owner like the continuance of Covid-time pay cut.
"...while other airlines have started rolling back their Covid pay cut, we are still burdened by this pay cut of
55%. Despite our repeated pleas for restoring our (pay), there has been no response from the management.... There is no move to resolve the plethora of longstanding disinvestment issues, be it accounting of illegally withheld 25% arrears with appropriate interest..." ICPA letter says.
The Tatas are set to take over by January 23, 2022, -- the long stop date.
"We have given the management ample benefit of the doubt and more than enough time to remedy these issues.... Yet the management's silence on our service conditions and arrears is deafening."
The ICPA has warned that "this state of affairs is no longer tenable. If we do not see the issues addressed and communicated to us, we will have no choice but to seek justice through 'industrial action.' Any disruption of
operations and its fallout will be attributable to (the management)," the letter says.
