Some Air India pilots threaten action over salary delay

More than half the members of Air India’s pilot union have threatened industrial action because of delays in getting their salaries, according to a letter written by the members and seen by Reuters Friday. Members of a regional committee of the Indian Commercial Pilots Associations’ (ICPA) have sent a letter to the union’s central committee, saying they had decided not to cooperate with the state-run carrier’s management until salaries are paid. They did not give further details. In its letters the members warned that not getting wages on time leads “to financial stress and mental agony, thereby resulting in undue fatigue which is severely affecting flight safety”. ICPA represents more than 600 pilots in India, according to its website. The threat is the latest setback for the debt-laden carrier that is struggling to meet operational expenses after the government failed to attract even initial bidders last week to buy a 76% stake in the airline. An internal notice dated June 6 sent to employees said salaries for May were “delayed and the payment is likely to be made on June 15.” <br/>