Air India chief talks to employees' unions

In an effort to enlist support for various cost cutting measures, including cut in productivity-linked incentives (PLI) of employees, Air India Chairman-cum-Managing Director Arvind Jadhav today held a series of meeting with various employees unions here.

The unions representing the pilots, engineers, non-technical staffs is understood to have expressed their readiness cooperate with the airline management but not ready to accept a cut in their PLIs, according to union sources.

Expressing their inability to accept a cut, they said since most the employees were getting a meagre salary and PLI as compared to the senior management, it was not possible for them to accept any cut.

They told the CMD that they were still getting the salary which was equivalent to the 4th Pay Commission and revision in their pay was due.

Yesterday, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had said Air India was looking at around Rs 3,000-crore reduction in cost and around Rs 2,000-crore enhancement in revenue which could lead the airline to the recovery path.

Patel had said the government has agreed to equity infusion of Rs 5,000 crore and a note for Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs was being prepared for submission in the next few days.

He also asked the management and the employees' unions to come together to turn around the company.