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| AI mgmt backs down from lockout |
| BS Reporter / New Delhi Sep 29, 2009, 00:29 IST |
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Says it will cut flights only on routes on which it lacks resources.
With more and more pilots reporting sick, Air India has decided to suspend flights on routes on which it lacks resources.
“We are suspending operations only on routes on which we do not have resources. We have formed a committee and that will submit its report in 10 days,” said a senior airline official.
Earlier in the evening, sources in the airline had said the airline was planning a lockout and the national carrier’s site also stopped providing tickets for any route.
Sources in the know said the airline had planned to declare a lockout from midnight but changed the decision after the prime minister’s office intervened.
Earlier during the day, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav held two meetings with the agitating executive pilots, which ended inconclusively, with the management declining to agree to their demands to reverse a decision to cut productivity-linked incentives (PLI).
The pilots' protest, however, appears to have strengthened, with more and more pilots joining the strike.
“The erstwhile Air India pilots, who had so far been operating the flights as per normal schedule began reporting sick from late evening, affecting operation of flights to west-bound destinations later tonight,” said a release from Air India.
The third day of the agitation saw the cancellation of over 20 flights out of 400 flights.
The agitating executive pilots, however, say they will talk to the management only if their allowances due for the last three months are paid and the "talibani” order of an up to 50 per cent reduction in PLI and flying allowances is withdrawn.
The airline says Air India in its merged form has only 319 executive pilots, of which 157 are from domestic carrier Indian Airlines.
Last week, Air India announced a cut in PLI and flying allowances ranging from 25 to 50 per cent for over 7,000 of its 31,000 employees. The executive pilots, however, alleged that their salaries have been cut 70 per cent — 50 per cent announced and the remaining 20 per cent hidden.
On Sunday, the management said it would form a seven-member committee comprising the executive director (finance), executive director (industrial relations), general manager (operations) and representatives of the executive pilots to examine all concerns on the PLI cut. The airline also put on hold the PLI cuts for pilots till the committee’s report is out.
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