Air India pilots petition Ratan Tata over new employment terms

Air India pilots petitioned Ratan Tata seeking his intervention to resolve the deadlock between the management and the crew over the airline’s revised terms of employment and salary allowances. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Nearly 1,500 Air India pilots petitioned the airline’s chairman emeritus Ratan Tata on Tuesday seeking his intervention to resolve the deadlock between the management and the crew over the airline’s revised terms of employment and salary allowances.

“We are currently facing a difficult situation with the current HR department. We feel that we are not being treated with the respect and dignity that we deserve as employees of Air India,” read an online petition with 1,500 signatures.

“We are therefore respectfully requesting your assistance in addressing these issues. We believe that your benevolent leadership can help us to find a solution that is fair and respectful to all parties involved,” it added.

Last Monday, Air India announced revised service conditions and compensation details, which two unions representing pilots of the airline have called “oppressive action” resulting in a “hostile work environment”. The last date for signing on the revised agreement was April 24 and pilot sources claim that a vast majority of pilots have declined to accept the terms.

The conditions opposed include the requirement that pilots be on call 24×7 and remain available for flying duties in case of “business exigency”, which they have called “exploitative” and one that disregards “work-life balance”. They have also objected to the 18 grounds under which pilots can be terminated without any notice or compensation. Air India’s pilots have also staunchly opposed a new provision of “garden leave”, which allows the airline to debar pilots from operating any flight or even come in contact with any company person. 

They have also expressed concerns that the elevation of certain senior commanders to an executive position in the company was to meddle with their “workmen” category and dissolve the union.