Faced with a strike threat by its pilots, Air India on Tuesday paid a month’s incentives and allowances to its 30,000 employees as it prepares for a crucial meeting of its Board today, to decide on major cost -cutting initiatives.
The Board, which would meet in Chennai, is likely to take a decision on a proposal to scrap the productivity- linked incentives (PLI) paid to its top managerial cadre, and adopt the financial accounts for 2008-09.
“The main agenda is adoption of accounts for the previous financial year,” sources close to the development said. The Board is also likely to discuss route and capacity rationalisation as part of the cost-cutting proposals.
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However, the pilots, who have warned of a strike from November 24 if their demands are not met by November 20, seem to be in no mood to relent.
“We have received our PLI/flying allowance, but it is only for August. The payment for September and October is still pending. We had given the management November 10 deadline to meet all our demands, but it has not,” Capt. V.K. Bhalla, who had led the five-day executive pilots agitation in September, told PTI.
While the original strike notice given by the non- executive pilots is effective from Tuesday, the management was asked by agitating pilots, at a meeting with Central Labour Commissioner here on Monday, to decide on their demands by November 20 to avoid the strike.
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