New Delhi:
Air India has decided to set up a committee to look into concerns of pilots who are on a strike protesting against a 20 per cent cut in their incentive by the management.
According to the airline, the committee will look into the incentive cuts and all other grievances and incentive cuts won't apply till committee takes decision.
The Air India executive pilots' strike entered its second day on Sunday, with all international flights running as per schedule. Twenty domestic flights have been cancelled and more pilots have called in sick since Saturday, when the strike began.
However, government sources said on Sunday that some protesting pilots have agreed to return to work, and that an agreement with the pilots is being worked out.
Though the management has agreed to meet the executive pilots later on Sunday, they maintain that the strike has had little impact and they have a contingency plan in place.
"None of the international flights are affected. Every effort is being made to maintain normalcy even as a handful of pilots have reported sick mostly at Delhi," Air India's executive director Jeetendra Bhargava said.
The pilots' association says more pilots will join the strike today, in protest against the recent cut in their flying incentives by more than half. The airline announced the cuts for all senior executives on Wednesday, due to a financial crunch. "The pilots must understand that this pay cut is essential for survival. Only if we survive we will have a future," explained Bharagava.
The pilots' representative Captain V K Bhalla responded, "We are prepared to negotiate but only at a neutral ground."
If Air India management does not end this face-off soon, it's clear that passengers will have to bear the brunt of the pilot strike.
According to the airline, the committee will look into the incentive cuts and all other grievances and incentive cuts won't apply till committee takes decision.
The Air India executive pilots' strike entered its second day on Sunday, with all international flights running as per schedule. Twenty domestic flights have been cancelled and more pilots have called in sick since Saturday, when the strike began.
However, government sources said on Sunday that some protesting pilots have agreed to return to work, and that an agreement with the pilots is being worked out.
Though the management has agreed to meet the executive pilots later on Sunday, they maintain that the strike has had little impact and they have a contingency plan in place.
"None of the international flights are affected. Every effort is being made to maintain normalcy even as a handful of pilots have reported sick mostly at Delhi," Air India's executive director Jeetendra Bhargava said.
The pilots' association says more pilots will join the strike today, in protest against the recent cut in their flying incentives by more than half. The airline announced the cuts for all senior executives on Wednesday, due to a financial crunch. "The pilots must understand that this pay cut is essential for survival. Only if we survive we will have a future," explained Bharagava.
The pilots' representative Captain V K Bhalla responded, "We are prepared to negotiate but only at a neutral ground."
If Air India management does not end this face-off soon, it's clear that passengers will have to bear the brunt of the pilot strike.
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