Air India employees requests Civil Aviation Minister's intervention to stop pay cut

Air India employees on Friday wrote to Minister of Civil Aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri requesting his intervention to "stop salary cut" of the employees.

"We the employees of Air India and its subsidiaries are writing to you at the backdrop of unilateral pay cut imposed on employees of Air India Ltd for three months against the government's instructions. While all the PSU's are following the directions of the Government, it is agonizing to note Air India has imposed pay cut in wake of COVID- 19 crisis. It is explicitly reflected as COVID-19 pay cut in March 2020 salary slip," the letter reads.

In the letter, employees have alleged that the management of Air India defaulted on timely payment of salary which was paid on April 18 with a 10 percent pay cut.

"In spite of instructions from the Government of India, concerning the welfare of the employees and directions to make payment of wages on the due date, the management of Air India defaulted on timely payment of salary which was paid on 18th April 2020 with a 10 percent pay cut. The Flying crew are yet to receive 70 percent of their wages for the work done in the month of February 2020," the letter reads.

They wrote in the letter that this pay cut by Air India will hit the morale of the employees.

"This pay cut by Air India is mere optics, unnecessary and will hit the morale of the employees which will have a cascading effect on Indian economy. We request you to countermand Air India Committee's decision on COVID pay cut which is against the Government Directives and also treat us at par with other PSU's during lockdown. We also request you to ensure government's support to Air India at all fronts during these testing times while we continue operating relief and rescue flight," the letter further reads.

In the letter, employees wrote that during lockdown they "have been operating several rescue and relief flights in the national interest at tremendous risk because of repeated exposure and often beyond the call of duty."

( With inputs from ANI )