Nearly a fortnight after the Tata Group signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) of Rs 18,000 crore with the Centre for Air India, the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), one of the pilot unions of the national carrier, has asked the management to clear the dues of pilots ahead of the transfer of the airline to the Tata Group, failing which will lead to "mass protest and industrial unrest".

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"At this critical juncture where the international skies have opened up and the domestic demand is steadily rising due to the festive season, the pilots are once again being stretched beyond capacity to cover additional flights... We trust that you will ensure that the process of settling arrears is righteously carried out so as to not leave the employees feeling cheated," the IPG said in a letter to Air India CMD on Sunday.

The pilot union said that it is "optimistic" about making a fresh start with the Tata Group and hoped that the current dispensation would not "exploit" employees.

"We are truly optimistic about making a fresh start with our new owners. We urge you not to exploit us employees whilst settling our arrears as that would probably lead to mass protest and industrial unrest just as the company changes hands," the letter added.

The pilot union has sought an immediate statement with a working calculation of dues pending for each pilot. IPG says that 25 percent of the monthly Layover Subsistence Allowance (LSA) for captains and for co-pilots — allocated under the 2006 Wage Agreement — are due. Besides, overtime payments arising out of this wage pact are also overdue, according to the union.

Meanwhile, an Air India spokesperson has refused to comment on the issue.

Incidentally, the post of Air India CMD — to whom the letter has been addressed — has been vacant since October 1 when Rajiv Bansal, former Air India CMD, took charge as secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Last month, Tata Sons emerged as the highest bidder for the debt-ridden state-run airline Air India. SpiceJet chairman Ajay Singh was also among the bidders.

(Edited by : Anshul)

First Published:Nov 9, 2021 11:19 AM IST