New Delhi/Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) All efforts are on to stave-off a strike proposed for next week by a section of Air India pilots, said a senior company official Saturday.
"All our efforts are on to stave-off this strike, which will have a deep impact on our airline which is facing some tough times," a senior Air India official told IANS.
A group of pilots from the erstwhile Indian Airlines, which has now been merged into flag carrier Air India, had served notice Feb 23 of striking work March 9, an official said.
The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) served the notice to airline chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav stating that they will strike work as the management had failed to address their grievances, including pay parity and better working conditions.
"We have served the notice (more than) 14 days before as per Section 22 of the Industrial Disputes Act. We will strike work March 9," ICPA General Secretary Captain Rishabh Kapoor had said.
The association has claimed that there are differences in salaries and working conditions of pilots of Indian Airlines and Air India and that the management has violated the memorandum of settlement signed in November 2009 on implementing the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.
The ICPA is also demanding payment of arrears since the date of merger of the two airlines in 2007. The ICPA represents some 800 pilots of the erstwhile Indian Airlines.
Meanwhile, Air India's Jadhav, in an open letter to the employees requested them not to go on strike when the company was facing financial problems and an on-going evacuation operation in Libya.
"It is time for all of us to strive and work towards a growth path which would take the company out of its present difficulties."
Jadhav thanked and congratulated the unions for considering and agreeing to Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi's initiative to constitute an independent committee, headed by a retired judge, to look into the airlines issues.
"Our issues are complex and can only be resolved through sustained dialogue. Any ad hoc decision would only complicate the matter further. You should understand that at this juncture, demands of one category of employees cannot be addressed in isolation," he said.
The cash-strapped airline had reported a decrease in its net loss for the fiscal 2009-2010, which stood at Rs.5,551 crore as against a net loss of Rs.7,189 crore in the fiscal 2008-2009.
Last-year, the central government had infused Rs.2,000 crore of fresh equity in the flag-carrier last year, in two instalments of Rs.800 crore and Rs.1,200 crore.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, in his 2011-12 budget, had said: "As a part of the process for financial restructuring of National Aviation Company of India Limited, an amount of Rs.1,200 crore has been provided."
The proposal for restructuring was based on inputs from the national carrier and put up by newly-appointed minister Vayalar Ravi.