Air India's pilots, who had recently gone on a 10-day strike, have written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation expressing discontent at the fact they have not been able to meet with the committee in charge of resolving human resource (HR) related issues in the airline.

The Justice Dharmadhikari Committee, which held its first meeting on the first day of the strike in April, has been given the task of looking into the grievances of the staff and resolving them amicably.

“There has still not been a meeting arranged with the Justice Dharmadhikari Committee even after 21 days,” said Captain Rishab Kapur, General Secretary, Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA), in a letter to the Minister of Civil Aviation.

The pilots have expressed their displeasure about their April salaries getting blocked along with passage benefits.

“Not even one black order has been revoked or withdrawn till date as was promised,” Captain Kapur said in the letter referring to an order dated April 29 from Air India, which stated that the April salaries for the pilots will be withheld. The order also stated that the pilots and their families won't be able to avail of passage benefits.

“It is unfair to block a whole month's salary. We were on strike for only four days in that month, so how is blocking of April's salary justified,” said an ICPA member.

Nearly 800 members of the ICPA went on strike from April 27 and after assurances from the Ministry of Civil Aviation called off the strike on May 6. While some of the assurances have been adhered to, the pilots have called on the Ministry to resolve the other issues on priority.

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