Air India pilots, mgmt on war path over pay cut plan

Allowances make up about 70% of Air India pilot's salary and at present pilots guaranteed a flying allowance for 72-80 hours

Air India, looking to trim its Rs 3,200-crore annual wage bill, has proposed to pay its executive pilots flying allowance only for the number of hours flown and not an assured amount each month.

Allowances make up about 70 per cent of an Air India pilot's salary. Pilots are now guaranteed a flying allowance for 72-80 hours, which the airline also wants reduced to 70.

Pay scales for pilots of the airline’s Boeing and Airbus fleets differ and the cut in allowances could be as high as 40 per cent for some. A 25 per cent wage cut is in force for all Air India employees since last January. The airline has begun talks on these proposals but its pilots are opposed. Jane Cox, advocate for the Indian Pilots’ Guild, said the management had not followed procedures for changing service conditions. The guild, representing pilots on Boeing aircraft, was de-recognised by the Air India management after a strike in 2012.

PILOTS CRASH

• Allowances make up 70% of an Air India pilot’s salary
• Pilots are now guaranteed a flying allowance for 72-80 hours (the airline wants to cut this to 70)
• The cut in allowances could be as high as 40% for some
• A 25% wage cut is in force for all Air India employees since last January

"This proposal has been circulated on the office intranet and this does not constitute a notice under the Industrial Disputes Act. We have already communicated our opposition. The reduction in allowances will result in Air India’s pilots being paid below-market salaries,'' she said. The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association, which represents pilots of the Airbus fleet, is expected to hold an emergency general body meeting on the issue. "The management is provoking an agitation,'' a commander who did not wish to be named said. A management-grade pilot looks after matters related to training, flight safety, schedules, rostering and administration in addition to flying duty. "Why will pilots work in office now,'' another commander asked. Although the airline proposes do away with payment of an assured sum for 70 hours for its management- grade pilots, it has recommended an executive flying allowance of Rs 750-900 an hour over and above the flying allowance to be paid to them.

Any industrial unrest will hurt the loss-making airline during the peak summer schedule and could also have an impact on its integration into the Star Alliance. An Air India spokesperson said, “These are just proposals and we are in discussions with the pilots. The salary will remain as per market standards.” Salaries of commanders from the erstwhile Indian Airlines range between Rs 5-6 lakh and Rs 6-9 lakh. Last January, the airline imposed an ad hoc 25 per cent cut in salaries and allowances till the full implementation of the Dharmadhikari Committee’s recommendations on the integration of the staff of Air India and Indian Airlines after their merger.