Air India pilots threaten to go on strike

A section of Air India executive pilots tonight threatened to go on an agitation in protest against the up to 50 per cent reduction in their productivity-linked incentives (PLIs) just days after Jet Airways pilots resumed work after going on a strike.

"The executive pilots have taken a decision to go on strike because nobody is in state on mind to work due to the salary cuts. Starting now, we will not work," representative of Executive pilots Captain Bhalla said here amid reports that an unspecified number of executive pilots may take mass leave.

But Air India spokesperson Jitendra Bhargava said, "We have no intimation of any strike by the pilots." It was not immediately known to what extent the airline's operations will be affected if the pilots go ahead with the stir.

There are around 300 executive pilots in the national carrier and since they are part of the airlines management, they cannot form a union and also cannot go on strike, official sources said.

Citing the massive cut in their PLI as the reason for the strike, Bhalla said, "With a stroke of a pen, the CMD Arvind Jadhav has cut 70 per cent salary of all the executive pilots with 50 per cent being evident and 20 per cent hidden."

"He is trying to hire foreign pilots at the rate of $13,500 and wants us to work for peanuts," he alleged.

Bhalla alleged that the Chairman had not discussed the salary cuts with executive pilots.

"The CMD has no turnaround policy. He has given this order (to cut PLI) without talking to us," he said.

Air India had recently reduced the PLI/flying allowance of the top management, officers and executive pilots by up to 50 per cent as a part of its turnaround plan.

At its meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, the Air India board had approved a cut of 25 per cent in the PLI of those who are getting Rs 10,000 or less. The maximum cut of 50 per cent was for those who get an incentive of above Rs 2 lakh.

Those who get PLI between Rs 10,001 and Rs 25,000, the cut is 35 per cent, and the reduction is 40 per cent for those who receive between Rs 25,001 and Rs 50,000.  Incentive in the bracket of Rs 50,001 to Rs 2 lakhs attract a cut of 45 per cent.