ÄŒSA Pilots Decline Wage Cuts

Air personnel of the national Czech carrier ÄŒSA (aka Czech Airlines) declined to sign an amendment to the collective agreement intended to cut pilots’ salaries by one-third. The trade unions of ÄŒSA rejected proposed decrease in salaries and in turn are going to suggest their own set of measures necessary to save the company.

The flight staff explained that wage cuts would endanger carrier’s operation safety. Although the managers are not agree with this accusation and claim that proposed changes should not influence safety.

The above-mentioned amendment to the collective agreement was suggested by the Czech Airlines board of directors as a part of set of measures deemed to reform the company. Also according to this amendment, if flight personnel agreed to decrease in wages the ÄŒSA managers would quit their posts.

It is known that the national carrier experiences very hard times. During the first half of year 2009 its losses climbed up to CZK 1.8bn (it is CZK 0.5 bn more than anticipated) and is expected to reach CZK 2 bn by the end of the year. So such unpopular measures like wage cuts and dismissals seem unavoidable.

The ÄŒSA has intention to decrease its fleet by six jets and fire about 20 percent of the total amount of staff. The only way to avoid all of these is to fund a good investor. At the moment Czech Airlines is for sale. The tender is still open but the only investor willing to buy is the Unimex - Travel Service consortium.

Photo: Czech Airlines' Airbus A310, by Pavel KobÄ›rský (wikimedia.org)