The salaries of Indian's ground staff, who have threatened to strike work over wage arrears, are on a par with their peers in AI and other private airlines.

About 14,000 of the 18,000-strong Indian employees have threatened to go on a mass leave on May 18, demanding a settlement of their 10-year salary arrears.

The entry-level and the average salaries of the state-owned domestic carrier are almost similar to those of their counterparts in AI and domestic private carriers.

The entry-level ground staff in Indian get a salary of Rs 15,000 compared with about Rs 10,000 at Air Deccan. The salaries of entry-level IA staff are  at par with their peers in Jet Airways and AI.

There is a difference in the pay packets of Indian pilots and cabin crew when compared with those of its big brother, AI. While an A-I pilot draws an average salary of Rs 600,000 a month, his counterpart in IA gets Rs 500,000 lakh.

Indian staff to go on mass leave on May 18

"The difference is primarily because AI pilots handle bigger jets and fly more hours. The perks of A-I's cabin crew are also higher as they fly longer distance," said an AI executive.

AI primarily flies on international routes, while Indian Airlines flies on shorter international and domestic routes.

Meanwhile, engineers of both the state-run airlines as well as those of private air carriers are paid between Rs 100,000 and Rs 200,000 a month.

"Some private airlines are even paying their engineers Rs 300,000 a month to retain talent. This is because of an acute shortage of engineers even as the airlines are expanding rapidly," an industry source said.

Even the Indian employees' association concedes that the pay packet of its ground staff is at par with those of private airlines.

"Our pay scales may be better compared with those of private airlines. But we are losers when you compare us with the AI staff. Employees of AI, which is merging with our airline, got promotions in 1997, while we are still waiting for it. This could result in critical differences during the merger," said J K Badola, general secretary of the Air Corporation Employees Union, which is spearheading the proposed strike.