New Delhi: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has requested the government to enable pilots of financially “distressed” airlines that “are not in a position to pay salaries” to leave without the notice period requirement as per DGCA rules being applied on them. Pilots say that a breach of contract by the employer when the company fails to pay salaries on time month after month should release them from notice period requirement too.
Citing the case of Go First which cancelled has all flights since May 3 and stares at an uncertain future in terms of resuming operations, FIP president Captain Surinder Mehta on Monday wrote to Union aviation minister J M Scindia, saying: “The DGCA (rule) pertaining to notice period by pilots was challenged by us and (has been) temporarily set aside by the Delhi High Court. Yet the (DGCA rule) continues to be misused and misinterpreted by some organisations. This has a lot of serious ramifications and has created a cloud of anxiety on the pilots of financially unsound airlines. The DGCA appears to have turned a blind eye towards airlines that continue to exploit pilots by making them work without pay or reduced pay. This is creating a very stressful environment that effects flight safety.”
Citing the case of Go First which has cancelled all flights since May 3 and faces an uncertain future in terms of resuming operations, the letter says: “It is reliably learnt from our members who are Go First pilots that (the airline) has not yet paid its pilots their April 2023 salary and has not provided a firm date for payments. (Go First’s) operational readiness remains uncertain. Go First is not issuing the to pilots who have resigned earlier or presently obtained employment since it stopped operations: no objection certificates (NOC) to pilots who have resigned; experience certificate; no dues certificate; attestation of logbooks (inspite of it being a statutory requirement).”
This “creates a barrier to free movement of pilots creating pressure on schedules and rosters of airlines that require more pilots. This hampers growth of the aviation market which is one of the biggest drivers of India’s economy and the nation’s infrastructure story. Creates a loss of earnings/livelihood to large numbers of licenced personnel-some of whom may act in desperation and cause undesirable situations,” it adds.
15/05/2023 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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