Mumbai: The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association, or ICPA, at state-owned airline Air India, on Monday, said it will strike work beginning 24 November. The decision comes after a Monday meeting with the Central Labour Commissioner and Air India management was inconclusive.
“The talks were inconclusive. The Central Labour Commissioner has called for another meeting on 20 November but we are going ahead with our strike decision and we will serve a strike notice tomorrow in two week advance,” said ICPA general secretary R. S. Otaal told Mint on the telephone. ICPA currently has at least 800 members.
A spokesperson for National Aviation Co of India Ltd or Nacil, that runs Air India, declined comment for this story.
“The Air India management came unprepared for the meeting,” claimed Otaal. “Our demand is the same about clearing salary dues. We are fed up with the dues from the productivity linked incentives (PLIs).”
The cash-strapped airline had suggested a 50% cut in the PLI to save save about Rs700 crore. PLIs currently account for 30% to 50% of Air India employees’ wages. PLIs have not been paid since August.
The national carrier, which has cumulative losses of Rs7,226 crore for financial years 2008 and 2009, has asked the government for a loan and equity infusion of around Rs15,000 crore. Air India’s borrowings increased to Rs15,241 crore at the end of June, up from Rs6,550 crore in November 2007.