Agitated over the deferment in payment of their salaries, a section of Air India pilots have decided to protest against the management by wearing black arm bands.
The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), body of erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots, in a letter to all its member pilots has asked them to adorn black arm bands.
“In view of deferment of salaries, failed assurances and commitments by the management and to protest against the ever-growing corruption in Air India, the Central Executive Committee has passed a resolution that all pilots adorn black arm bands in protest against the management,” the ICPA General Secretary, Mr Rishabh Kapur, said in a letter.
Charging the management with having “failed” to address their grievances, including pay parity and better working conditions, the union had threatened to go on a strike from March 9 and had served a 14-day notice to the management in February.
After intervention of the Civil Aviation Minister, they had deferred their strike by a week and reconciliation process was underway at the Central Labour Commissioner.
Later, the Delhi High Court had restrained them from going on a strike from March 16. They had also agreed to defer their action after the Civil Aviation Ministry announced setting up of a three-member committee to examine the wage parity issue.