AI pilots will lose salaries, colleagues too may be hit

With the agitating pilots belonging to Air India’s domestic wing defying the management’s deadline to report to work, the remaining staff too are likely to bear the brunt of the ongoing strike. The management, in consultation with the government, has decided to stop the agitating pilots’ salary and withdraw their perks.
“The airline is following the ‘no work, no pay’ principle. This means the salaries of the rest of the staff for the duration of the strike would get affected too as the aircraft lie grounded and there is no work,” said a senior airline executive. On an average, the salaries of rest of the employees are likely to get affected by Rs 20,000-30,000, said the executive.
On day four of the strike, the airline operated only 20 per cent of the normal daily schedule on its domestic network with just 10 commanders and 25 unconfirmed pilots belonging to erstwhile Indian Airlines taking to skies. The airline took two Kingfisher planes on wet lease — a lease that includes flight and cabin crew — to operate trunk routes.
“The airline will firm the flying schedule for the next fortnight and start taking bookings,” said an airline spokesperson.
The airline added that pilots, along with engineers, were the highest paid in the aviation industry.
01/05/11 Smita Aggarwal/IndianExpress

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Categories: Air India May 2011