Air India cancels 12% of total flights as pilots strike

Mumbai: National flag carrier Air India Ltd has cancelled 12% of its total daily flights and a majority of passengers of these cancelled flights were accommodated in other flights as a section of pilots went on strike on Wednesday.
Terming the strike as illegal, Air India management has de-recognized the striking union and sealed their offices.
The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) of erstwhile Indian Airlines had given a strike notice on 23 February 2011 demanding higher emoluments and parity in pay and allowances of erstwhile pilots belonging to erstwhile Air India.
Ever since the merger, the management is seized with the issue of bringing about parity in emoluments and compensation harmonization of similar categories of employees of both erstwhile Companies, said Air India in a media statement.
Meanwhile, the government had appointed an Expert Committee headed by a retired Justice of Supreme Court, Dharamadhikari, to examine the principles of integration, pay parity between all employees of erstwhile airlines and to suggest harmonized working conditions of various categories of employees. The Expert Committee has already begun to function this week.
“Till the compensation is harmonized, the employees of both the erstwhile companies would continue to draw their wages and allowances in term of the settlement signed with their respective Union and Association, prior to the merger. This means that ICPA would draw their emoluments in term of Settlement signed with ICPA and Air India pilots would draw emoluments in term of Settlement signed with their association,” the statement said.
The average earning of a co-pilot of erstwhile Indian Airlines range between Rs2.25 to Rs3.25 lakh per month and for a Commander it ranges between Rs4.00 to Rs5.00 lakh per month, it said.
27/04/11 P. R. Sanjai/Live Mint

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Categories: Air India Apr 2011