Air India pilots' union says will go to any extent' if victimised

New Delhi: After telling Air India on February 10 that they would not be following any changes in the duty roster system because of non-payment of flying allowance, the pilots’ union of the national carrier decided on Tuesday that “if any pilot is victimised” by the management, it would go to any extent, including resorting to “strikes”.

“It has been hereby resolved by the CEC (Central Executive Committee) that if any pilot is victimised by the management, the CEC will go to any extent to safeguard the pilot, including strikes,” stated the CEC resolution of the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) dated February 12, 2019.

The ICPA represents the pilots who fly the narrow-body aircraft of Air India.

“Complete financial protection along with legal support will be provided by the ICPA on central level,” the resolution stated.

The Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) is the union of pilots who fly the wide-body aircraft of the national carrier.

On February 10, both unions told the airline that since they had not received the flying allowance, they had decided not to accept “changes in the (duty) roster and will maintain the CMS (crew management system) printed roster already issued for the month of February”.

The flying allowance, which is around 70 per cent of the total pay package, is paid to a pilot on the basis of the number of flight hours he or she has clocked in a month.

Both unions had said on February 10 that the pilots were working under “stressful conditions” that had “direct implications on flight safety”.