Mumbai: As government moves ahead with its plans to exit the struggling national carrier, Air India pilots demanded Monday the notice period be lowered to one month from six months now.
The government is planning to invite bids for Air India early next month and its employees, numbering many thousands, including pilots is are fearing job losses.
At the meeting of the unions called Monday by CMD Ashwani Lohani at the headquarters here, unions also demanded that the government clear all their pending dues before exiting the sale.
Besides Ashwani Lohani, Director (Finance) Vinod Hejmadi and Director (Personnel) Amrita Sharan also attended the two-hour meeting with the unions like ACEU, AIEU, Indian Commercial Pilots Association, Indian Pilots Guild, All-India Aircraft Engineers Association, Indian Airlines Technicians Association, AIEG and Air India Retired Employees Union among others.
The airline, including the recently-created subsidiary AI Asset Holding Company together is sitting on a debt pile of around Rs 58,000 crore besides huge accumulated losses running into thousands of crores.
“At the meeting, in addition to seeking an early clearance of all their dues, pilots also demanded the notice period be curtailed to one month instead of six months now,” said a source privy to the discussions.
Air India has 1,800 pilots operating its diverse fleet consisting of wide-body, narrow-body planes and regional jets. Fifty four first officers (junior pilots) put in their papers in the last one year but only five have been accepted. The rest are likely to continue after the airline changed their contract conditions, as per the airline.
The management ‘assured’ the unions that their concerns regarding job security, pensions, gratuity, medical facilities, and free passes, among others, have been taken up with the Aviation Ministry, said another source. He added, the management has reportedly assured to clear 25 percent arrears of productivity-linked incentive by December.
PTI