Air India unable to pay staff salaries

Air India pilots seek notice-period waiver

Cash-strapped Air India, which is now unable to even pay salaries to its employees, could soon see an exodus of pilots. The union of erstwhile Indian Airlines' pilots has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to waive its rule that pilots must give a six-month notice to their employer before switching jobs. The DGCA had issued this rule in public interest in October 2009 to ensure that no airline's schedule goes haywire due to sudden resignation of pilots.

"With exhausted resources and no income, one cannot think of public interest as an employee (but) has to think about his/her family as well. All the employees are slowly but surely becoming insolvent by deferring on their payments... pilots and their families are undergoing immense mental distress and financial hardship. Also, this victimization could be a flight safety hazard," the Indian Commercial Pilots Association's (ICPA) letter sent to the DGCA on Tuesday says, while requesting for exemption from this rule for all AI pilots.

AI employees have not been getting their allowances (which in pilots' cases are almost 80% of their total pay) for months and even the basic salary for May has not been paid so far. Since the ICPA strike ended last month, over five pilots have already quit. A number of airlines, both foreign and a major Indian budget airline that operate Airbus A-320 aircraft, are eying IA pilots due to commonality of fleet. "The situation is going from bad to worse and a number of pilots are planning to resign from AI," said a senior commander.

Some private Indian airlines say they would hire IA pilots but will not be able to match their pay structure at AI as the Maharaja's pay structure for pilots is way above the industry. Cash-rich Gulf carriers, on the other hand, do not have any such issues and are ready to hire pilots to suit their fleet requirements. IndiGo on Tuesday had said it would hire 200 pilots over the next 18 months.

The growing disenchantment between employees and the management is evident in the letter. It cites withdrawal of staff-on-leave-travel facility for pilots and their families indefinitely that are provided on subject to availability basis as "atrocities committed by the AI management towards its employees by unilaterally changing the terms of employment".

Clearly with AI survival facing a huge question mark, employees who can get jobs are looking for options while the lower level workers are keeping their fingers crossed Cash-strapped Air India, which is now unable to even pay salaries to its employees, could soon see an exodus of pilots. The union of erstwhile Indian Airlines' pilots has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to waive its rule that pilots must give a six-month notice to their employer before switching jobs. The DGCA had issued this rule in public interest in October 2009 to ensure that no airline's schedule goes haywire due to sudden resignation of pilots.

"With exhausted resources and no income, one cannot think of public interest as an employee (but) has to think about his/her family as well. All the employees are slowly but surely becoming insolvent by deferring on their payments... pilots and their families are undergoing immense mental distress and financial hardship. Also, this victimization could be a flight safety hazard," the Indian Commercial Pilots Association's (ICPA) letter sent to the DGCA on Tuesday says, while requesting for exemption from this rule for all AI pilots.

AI employees have not been getting their allowances (which in pilots' cases are almost 80% of their total pay) for months and even the basic salary for May has not been paid so far. Since the ICPA strike ended last month, over five pilots have already quit. A number of airlines, both foreign and a major Indian budget airline that operate Airbus A-320 aircraft, are eying IA pilots due to commonality of fleet. "The situation is going from bad to worse and a number of pilots are planning to resign from AI," said a senior commander.

Some private Indian airlines say they would hire IA pilots but will not be able to match their pay structure at AI as the Maharaja's pay structure for pilots is way above the industry. Cash-rich Gulf carriers, on the other hand, do not have any such issues and are ready to hire pilots to suit their fleet requirements. IndiGo on Tuesday had said it would hire 200 pilots over the next 18 months.

The growing disenchantment between employees and the management is evident in the letter. It cites withdrawal of staff-on-leave-travel facility for pilots and their families indefinitely that are provided on subject to availability basis as "atrocities committed by the AI management towards its employees by unilaterally changing the terms of employment".

Clearly with AI survival facing a huge question mark, employees who can get jobs are looking for options while the lower level workers are keeping their fingers crossed Cash-strapped Air India, which is now unable to even pay salaries to its employees, could soon see an exodus of pilots. The union of erstwhile Indian Airlines' pilots has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to waive its rule that pilots must give a six-month notice to their employer before switching jobs. The DGCA had issued this rule in public interest in October 2009 to ensure that no airline's schedule goes haywire due to sudden resignation of pilots.

"With exhausted resources and no income, one cannot think of public interest as an employee (but) has to think about his/her family as well. All the employees are slowly but surely becoming insolvent by deferring on their payments... pilots and their families are undergoing immense mental distress and financial hardship. Also, this victimization could be a flight safety hazard," the Indian Commercial Pilots Association's (ICPA) letter sent to the DGCA on Tuesday says, while requesting for exemption from this rule for all AI pilots.

AI employees have not been getting their allowances (which in pilots' cases are almost 80% of their total pay) for months and even the basic salary for May has not been paid so far. Since the ICPA strike ended last month, over five pilots have already quit. A number of airlines, both foreign and a major Indian budget airline that operate Airbus A-320 aircraft, are eying IA pilots due to commonality of fleet. "The situation is going from bad to worse and a number of pilots are planning to resign from AI," said a senior commander.

Some private Indian airlines say they would hire IA pilots but will not be able to match their pay structure at AI as the Maharaja's pay structure for pilots is way above the industry. Cash-rich Gulf carriers, on the other hand, do not have any such issues and are ready to hire pilots to suit their fleet requirements. IndiGo on Tuesday had said it would hire 200 pilots over the next 18 months.

The growing disenchantment between employees and the management is evident in the letter. It cites withdrawal of staff-on-leave-travel facility for pilots and their families indefinitely that are provided on subject to availability basis as "atrocities committed by the AI management towards its employees by unilaterally changing the terms of employment".

Clearly with AI survival facing a huge question mark, employees who can get jobs are looking for options while the lower level workers are keeping their fingers crossed Cash-strapped Air India, which is now unable to even pay salaries to its employees, could soon see an exodus of pilots. The union of erstwhile Indian Airlines' pilots has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to waive its rule that pilots must give a six-month notice to their employer before switching jobs. The DGCA had issued this rule in public interest in October 2009 to ensure that no airline's schedule goes haywire due to sudden resignation of pilots.

"With exhausted resources and no income, one cannot think of public interest as an employee (but) has to think about his/her family as well. All the employees are slowly but surely becoming insolvent by deferring on their payments... pilots and their families are undergoing immense mental distress and financial hardship. Also, this victimization could be a flight safety hazard," the Indian Commercial Pilots Association's (ICPA) letter sent to the DGCA on Tuesday says, while requesting for exemption from this rule for all AI pilots.

AI employees have not been getting their allowances (which in pilots' cases are almost 80% of their total pay) for months and even the basic salary for May has not been paid so far. Since the ICPA strike ended last month, over five pilots have already quit. A number of airlines, both foreign and a major Indian budget airline that operate Airbus A-320 aircraft, are eying IA pilots due to commonality of fleet. "The situation is going from bad to worse and a number of pilots are planning to resign from AI," said a senior commander.

Some private Indian airlines say they would hire IA pilots but will not be able to match their pay structure at AI as the Maharaja's pay structure for pilots is way above the industry. Cash-rich Gulf carriers, on the other hand, do not have any such issues and are ready to hire pilots to suit their fleet requirements. IndiGo on Tuesday had said it would hire 200 pilots over the next 18 months.

The growing disenchantment between employees and the management is evident in the letter. It cites withdrawal of staff-on-leave-travel facility for pilots and their families indefinitely that are provided on subject to availability basis as "atrocities committed by the AI management towards its employees by unilaterally changing the terms of employment".

       Selman TENGÜZ

   Wednesday, May 18, 2011

       Talip BÖLÜKBAŞI

   Thursday, May 19, 2011