The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) issued a strike notice to Air India's Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav on Monday, media reports said. The pilots are demanding payment of their flying allowances and productivity-linked incentives that are due for the past couple of months. The pilots said in their formal strike notice that they would go on strike after November 24, if their dues are not paid by November 10 as promised by the airline.
ICPA general secretary, Capt R S Otal said that the allowances and incentives form about 65% to 70% of their salaries and if they remain unpaid on November 10, they would go on strike after 14 days, the mandatory notice period for a legal strike.
The erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots had earlier threatened to go on a non-cooperation movement from November 1 if the amounts were not paid by then. However, the airline promised to pay salaries by November 10. The main grievance of the ICPA pilots is that the cash-trapped airline is paying full salaries to its 193-odd expatriate pilots on time while their allowances remain unpaid.
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