Air India pilots' union knocks on labour department's doors

A pilots' grouping of Tata group-owned Air India has approached the labour department to initiate conciliation proceedings with the airline's management to sort out various issues, including concerns over possible changes in service conditions of its members.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), which claims to represent around 900 pilots flying narrow-body planes of Air India, has written to the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) as well as Deputy CLC and Assistant Labour Commissioner in New Delhi earlier this week.

Apart from service condition issues, the association has flagged that the airline's plans to hire captains for its A320 fleet on a fixed-term contract may result in an anomalous situation for the existing pilots at Air India.

Also, it is concerned about roster practices at the carrier.

With the letter, the grouping has sought initiation of conciliation proceedings with the airline's management to sort out various issues.

There was no immediate comment from Air India.

ICPA said it has come to know that the Air India management is contemplating certain changes to the service conditions of its pilots, and has demanded that its members be consulted prior to making any changes.

The association said that it is of the view that 'pilots' are classified as 'workmen' for the purposes of various labour laws in India, including the Industrial Disputes Act 1947.

"The Indian Commercial Pilots Association requests you to take urgent note of the escalating situation, and immediately and without any further delay, restrain the management of Air India Ltd from changing the conditions of service of its pilots… especially since the management continues to remain unresponsive to the pleas of its pilots," the letter said.

According to ICPA, Section 9-A of the Industrial Dispute Act (read with the Fourth Schedule of the ID Act) mandates that an employer give due notice (as prescribed) before effecting any change in the conditions of service, such as wages, allowances, concessions and privileges, of any workman.

"In this regard, we, ICPA, had sent two letters/demand notices to Air India Ltd, on 24.10.2022 and 21.12.2022, respectively, requesting the Air India management to inter alia involve us, as representative of the pilots, in deliberations regarding any change in conditions of service before any precipitative steps are taken," the letter said.

ICPA has sent copies of the letter to Air India managing director and CEO Campbell Wilson, Chief of Human Resources SD Tripathi and Chief Operating Officer RS Sandhu, among others.