Resume duty today or face action, Air India pilots told

New Delhi: As the agitation by executive pilots of public sector Air India entered the fourth day on Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel appealed to them to resume duty immediately, put an end to the inconvenience of the travelling public and help restore normal operations of the national carrier.
In a veiled warning, the Minister said the Air India management would be free to exercise any option if the agitating pilots did not report for duty by Wednesday.
Till late in the night, the pilots did not appear to be in a mood to give in and about 20 more joined the agitation in Mumbai, taking the total number of executive pilots reporting sick to about 190. Air India was forced to cancel about 80 flights, including some on international routes like the non-stop service to New York and onward connection to Chicago.
Mr. Patel maintained that the controversial decision on Productivity-Linked Incentive (PLI) that had acted as a trigger for the executive pilots to start their agitation had not been implemented as yet.
Showing the September 27 Air India order, he said the earlier order of September 24 about the cut in PLI was being modified and that would be discussed with a committee of executive pilots before being finalised.
The Minister revealed that an executive pilot of Deputy General Manager rank drew total emoluments of Rs. 6,30,764 a month which included Rs. 5,75,308 as PLI and Rs. 55,456 as pay and allowances.
Mr. Patel’s appeal came within hours of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh taking stock of the situation arising out of the agitation.
30/09/09 Vinay Kumar/The HIndu

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Air India Domestic Sep 2009, NACIL Sep 2009