AI pilots striking
Ok guys let’s get some valid points in here. Everyone has their own opinions on the matter but we must have objectivity here.
Air India is running into losses of Rs 5000 crores + and asking the Govt to bail them out.
Are you telling me that only the Pilots are responsible for these losses? And these pilots are management after giving almost 20 years to the company. Their union was disbanded almost 6 years ago during the SARs crisis. The Supreme Court of India disbanded their union. What choice did they have but to join management at the time since they couldn’t be protected otherwise? Do you think Air India management pilots were just lining their pockets and having it cushy all these years? They have worked really hard and continue to do so under the most unprofessional conditions. They have earned their perks and their allowances and their salaries with the work and the time that they have put in. And Air India pilots are still paid lower than the international standards. Currently they have arrears from 1997 still due to be paid to these pilots, forget about the current cuts.
The contract expat pilots are paid much more. But you can’t blame the expat pilots here for anything. They are here to do a job they were hired to and paid according to international standards. They cannot in anyway be embroiled in this dispute since it has nothing to do with them and their contracts.
The problem here is that these pilots happen to be striking because the cuts are not across the board for everyone. It’s exclusively for a set of “executive” pilots, whom they can control. They are not overpaid, over indulged select lot of employees that have had it real good for a very long time. They have been getting paid for what they have worked for. The union pilots whom they are speaking of are mostly first officers and the pilots that merged over from the Indian Airlines to Air India. They have managed to retain their union. Would you as commanders/captains be willing to continue working when your first officer gets paid more than you?
Air India has over 30,000+ employees in its company. Where are the cuts for them? Do you really believe that the cuts announced so far for 400 + set of pilots are really going to take them out of the red?
“The country knows that Air India has incurred losses due to the wrong policies of the government and the civil aviation minister Praful Patel. It is ironical that instead of making the minister accountable for the present state of affairs, the hapless pilots and workers are being made to suffer.
Fleet acquisition of 122 aircraft at the staggering cost of Rs 65,000 crore, one-sided bilateral agreements, policy of route rationalization, outsourcing of ground operations, the controversial decision of merging Indian Airlines into Air India and rampant corruption are the main factors for destroying Air India."
Instead of taking action against the minister, the government has allowed Air India management to hold the staff responsible for the present mess.”