Employees of private airline SpiceJet on August 31 claimed delay in disbursement of salaries for the second consecutive month.
SpiceJet employees claimed that there was a delay in disbursement of salaries of employees including flight crew for the month of July and many are yet to receive Form 16 for the financial year 2021-22 as well.
“Salary disbursement was on time for June. Also, salaries are yet to match the pre-COVID-19 levels. The salaries being paid to captains and first officers were 50 per cent of what they were before the outbreak of the pandemic. Neither is there. In March 2020,” said an employee.
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Meanwhile, SpiceJet claimed that it has started salary disbursement in a “graded format”.
“We have started depositing salary from today. Salary will be deposited in a graded format like last month,” the airline said in a statement.
SpiceJet’s HR team cited that “the last few months have been tough” due to “exaggerated fuel price hike” and “historically weak period of July-September”, as reasons.
The communication said, “With the reduction in fuel prices from August 1, we have started seeing some signs of relief. Passenger demand is also expected to strengthen as we enter our traditional strong season towards the end of September. are.”
“However, there are certain milestones to be reached as we move through these difficult times and overcome the impact of the unfavorable business environment. In view of the foregoing, the salary for the month of August will be started from the beginning. End of August from the middle of next month, as completed in the previous month,” it said.
Several pilots have left SpiceJet in recent months following the COVID-19 pandemic and persistent irregularities in pay.
“It was difficult to continue on one-third of the salary we got three years ago. There were also provident fund and tax-related discrepancies in our pay slips, due to which many of us paid more taxes,” said a former SpiceJet pilot. “The salary we got was not eligible for those taxes.”
With PTI input.
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