“… the disproportionate unilateral pay cut imposed on pilots on behalf of Covid-19 equates to a gross reduction of up to 58% of our legitimate salaries, since April 2020 … We have been very patient and have demonstrated “The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA, former Indian Airlines pilots union) wrote to AI President and Managing Director Rajiv Bansal on Thursday in a letter titled” Humiliation of Frontline Workers “.
The letter notes that so far 171 AI pilots have tested positive for Covid while operating Vande Bharat Mission flights during the pandemic. They have claimed that with the reactivation of air traffic, pilots were assured a significant reversal of the pay cut.
“This misery of a 5% decrease in the current pay cut is an absolute insult … This ‘generosity’ equates to a reduction of approximately 3% in the current gross pay cut for pilots … while the pilots themselves Parliamentarians have suffered from only 30% in gross pay and we vehemently refuse to take a higher cut, we believe it is completely egregious for us pilots to continue to tolerate this massive and arbitrary 55% pay cut in our gross pay. We do not accept this measly 5% back in the illegal pay cut and may advise interested parties to donate this 5% to the funds for building Parliament or PM CARE, “the letter says.
“If we do not see a timely substantial reduction in this disproportionate pay cut, we will be forced to seek justice through tougher means, including industrial action,” he added.
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