Air India (AI) is finally drawing up a schedule to vaccinate its employees, after its pilots threatened to strike. The national carrier is aiming to get its staff vaccinated by the end of May 2021. The staff had threatened to stop working because the management seemed to be oblivious to the urgent need for vaccinating the staff and appeared to be unsupportive.
The pilots had made it clear that without any insurance cover, and despite the pay cuts, they were actually taking a huge risk flying amidst the raging pandemic. Therefore, the least Air India could do was to ensure their health and safety, which, in turn would also ensure the health and safety of the passengers.
The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) had said that if Air India failed to take up the vaccination of its staff across the country, on priority, the pilots would stop risking their lives to fly.
The carrier now claims to have already organised camps to vaccinate those above the age of 45 and has revealed that a proper schedule is being drawn to vaccinate the others, starting next week. The objective is to get all employees vaccinated by the end of the month. The schedule will take into account the crew members who do not have fixed days of work.
