Donate it to Parliament building or PM Care: Air India pilots reject 5% roll back in pay cut

New Delhi, Dec 25: Air India pilots rejected the 5 per cent rollback in the pay cut and asked the money to rather be donated towards building the new Parliament or PM CARES Funds.

"This pittance in the form of a 5 per cent decrease in the current wage cut is an outright insult, its sting magnified in light of our unwavering support and trust in this company. This 'generosity' amounts to a reduction of approximately 3 per cent in the current gross pay cut for pilots," pilots said in a letter to Air India Chairman and Managing Director Rajiv Bansal.

Air India pilots said they will be forced to resort to "industrial action". "We have given the management every benefit of doubt as well as ample time to redress the issue of disproportionate pay cut for pilots of Air India and its subsidiaries so there is no point left in mincing words. If we do not see a timely substantial reduction in this disproportionate pay cut, we will be forced to seek justice through harsher means including Industrial Action," they added.

Even MPs have taken a lower pay cut, the pilots said. "While the parliamentarians themselves have taken a cut of only 30 per cent on gross emoluments and vehemently refused to take a higher cut, we think it is completely egregious for us pilots to continue tolerating this arbitrary massive pay cut of 55 per cent on our gross emoluments," the letter said.

"It is unfortunate that even now the duality of the management continues unabated, humiliating front line employees while simultaneously paying lip service. Right now, the disproportionate unilateral pay cut imposed on pilots in the name of Covid-19 amounts to a gross reduction up-to 58 per cent of our rightful wages, from the month of April 2020. This cut has been carefully worded to slash our wages by more than half while insulating top management from any meaningful austerity contribution such as a fair percentage cut on gross emoluments which spreads the burden fairly," pilots said.