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<\/p>\nTwo unions representing Air India pilots have asked members not to accept the revised compensation and employment offer, calling the company’s proposals “unfair labour practices.”<\/p>\n
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They said any coercion on pilots to sign the offer would lead to industrial unrest.<\/p>\n
The Tata group airline announced on Monday a new salary structure for pilots and cabin crew.<\/p>\n
It said the flying allowance for pilots has been doubled to 40 hours.<\/p>\n
A service reward for pilots, based on years in service, has been introduced.<\/p>\n
Allowances have been enhanced and a travel policy is being proposed.<\/p>\n
Pilots unions, in an online meeting held on Tuesday, expressed their disappointment with the revisions.<\/p>\n
The meeting was attended by 1,000 pilots working with all four Tata group airlines.<\/p>\n
While the unions objected to various clauses of the new offer, their main grouse is about promoting captains with more than four years’ experience into management.<\/p>\n
Unions see the salary proposals as a move to weaken them.<\/p>\n
“Where is the company requirement all of a sudden to forcibly promote almost all permanent workmen of the union to the so-called senior commander management cadre?<\/p>\n
“It is clear from this that there is a concerted effort to gut the unions and isolate pilots into individual boxes where they can be exploited and victimized at will by the HR department.<\/p>\n
“This amounts to unfair labour practices,” said the Indian Commercial Pilots Association and the Indian Pilots Guild in a joint letter on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Air India, in a statement, defended its new salary structure.<\/p>\n
“The new compensation structure for pilots and cabin crew is our endeavour to bring in parity among different groups, encourage productivity and boost emoluments drawn by them.<\/p>\n
“The managerial and supervisory role played by the experienced pilots is also being recognised in the form of designating them as Senior Commander as also offering them a special monthly allowance.<\/p>\n
“The contracts reflecting these enhancements were individually sent to the pilots and cabin crew for necessary paperwork.<\/p>\n
“A large number of pilots and cabin crew have already accepted the new contracts, and the salary improvements and advancement opportunities they enable.<\/p>\n
“The airline will continue to engage with the remainder of its staff through this process as currently there is no recognised union in Air India.”<\/p>\n