Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) wants seniority issues solved in Air India
A group of pilots have objected to bunching together of the cockpit crew of Air India and the former Indian Airlines in the state-run carrier's rostering system unless seniority issues are sorted out.
The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association or ICPA on Wednesday expressed its "strong objection" to the common rostering system.
Indian Airlines was merged with Air India in 2007.
In a letter to the executive director, the ICPA said the Air India management had till recently refrained from rostering together the pilots of the former Indian Airlines until the seniority issues were settled.
"There has been a recent instance where an erstwhile Air India commander and co-pilot were rostered for a flight with an erstwhile Indian Airlines commander and co-pilot on the Boeing 787 fleet," the ICPA said in a letter released to the media.
"In the past there has been an understanding on the issue. The implications and the associated risk of common roster have been respected till now and management has refrained from rostering the pilots of erstwhile airlines together pending settlement of seniority issues," the ICPA said in the letter.
"During this period of turmoil, when the airline is barely being able to compensate the employees of the complete salary, we question the intent of the management and the reason they choose to touch this aspect," it added.
Noting that the entire purpose of the merger was to have synergy and to use the resources as one airline, the pilots' association asked the management to refrain from common rostering.
"Till the time the management is unable to propose a common seniority list and mitigate the risk associated with the same, we sincerely expect you to understand the sensitive nature of the issue and henceforth refrain from such activities, so as not to adversely affect the cordial industrial relations which exist as of date," the letter said.
Last week, the government decided to cancel divestment in Air India. Since the airline has been posting operational profits, the government does not feel the need to rush for a stake sale, people familiar with the matter have said.
A 76 per cent stake of the debt-laden carrier was put on sale by the government in March this year, but on May 31, when the deadline for bidding ended, Air India did not get any interest from investors.