Air India pilots seek Ratan Tata's intervention on pay structure

Nearly 1,500 Air India pilots have written a letter to Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, seeking his intervention to resolve the deadlock between the management and the crew over the revised pay structure.

"We are facing a difficult situation with the current HR department. We feel we are not being treated with the respect and dignity that we deserve as employees of Air India," pilots wrote in an online petition.

Photo Credit: Ratan Tata

"As a result, our morale is low, and we are concerned that this will have a negative impact on our ability to perform our duties to the best of our abilities," news agency PTI reported quoting the petition.

"We have always been committed to Air India's success and have gone above and beyond to ensure that we provide our passengers with the best possible experience," pilots added.

As the Chairman Emeritus of Air India, "we believe that your benevolent leadership can help us to find a solution that is fair and respectful to all parties involved", they added.

On April 17, Air India rolled out a revised compensation structure for its pilots and cabin crew, which was straight away rejected by the two pilot unions - Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG).

They claimed that Air India's move is a violation of labour practices, as the management did not consult them before finalising the new contracts.

The pilot unions also urged their community not to sign/accept the revised contract and salary structure.