SIA revises pay cut offer for rehired pilots

Singapore Airlines has accepted the Ministry of Manpower's proposal to use the 'effective mid-point' of the pilots' salary band as the base salary for rehired pilots.

So far, the union has yet to accept the revised offer from SIA.

SIA's original proposal was for senior Singapore Airlines pilots to take some $8,000 pay cut upon rehiring.

Senior pilots can earn over $20,000, excluding flying allowance, by the time they reach retirement.

This offer was rejected outright by Airline Pilots Association-Singapore or Alpa-S. But after four rounds of talks since November last year, the two sides have moved closer on their positions.

Alpa-S president Captain P James said the take-home package for rehired pilots would still be lower than what the company pays a fresh expatriate pilot, which works out to just over $15,000, including gratuity and housing allowance. He also explained that there were critical points of principle involved.

'We can understand the need to be cost-competitive and adjust the salaries of older pilots, but how do you justify the quantum of cut being proposed for a fully qualified and fit pilot at 62?' he asked.