KATHMANDU, Jan 24: At least 25 out of the 40 Nepali pilots employed by the state-run Nepal Airlines have tendered their resignation with a three-month notice.

In a letter to NAC executive chairman last week, the permanent pilots handed in their signed resignation citing irregularities within the management in terms of tax deduction and comparative differences in the pay scale of Expat pilots and Nepali Pilots.

"Nepal Airlines has been deducting 36% from the pilots salary and also deducting a further one Lakh rupees as Staff advance, without providing any information or timely notice to the pilots." He further added, " the Airlines is paying the Nepali pilots one-third of what it is paying its ex-pat pilots, and on top of that, they also pay the taxes of the ex-pat pilots, while they do not do so for Nepali Pilots, who are both flying the same machines in the same conditions," a senior Nepali pilot told Republica Online on Friday morning requesting anonymity.

The pilots of the national flag carrier said they were not happy with the unfair treatment by the management towards them in comparison to the NAC's expat pilots or pilots on contract basis.

The permanent pilots of the NAC have complained that the NAC management is deducting certain amount from their salaries without giving prior notice.

"The management knows that remuneration offered by Nepal Airline for its pilots is least compared to any private- domestic or international airline in Nepal. Despite this fact, and without any notice, NAC management is deducting a certain amount from our monthly salary besides applicable tax," read the notice of resignation submitted to the NAC management.  

The pilots say that the NAC management has been deducting applicable tax from their monthly salary.

"Now, without any notice to the crew additional amount is being deducted in the name of 'staff advance' though we have never taken any advance from the airline. On the one hand NAC pays all applicable taxes to the expat pilots who are already being paid a good remuneration and on the other hand this is how we the permanent pilots are being humiliated," the letter said.

The permanent pilots have said that they are humiliated after the NAC management hired expat pilots providing handsome salary, perks and benefits.

"The management is happy in hiring expensive expat pilots or pilots in contract with much higher salary but nothing has been done to replace such expensive pilots with its own in-house pilots or to increase the salary and benefits of its permanent pilots," read the letter.

The permanent pilots have urged the management to timely correct the unfair treatment.

In the letter, they have urged the management to make sure that NAC pays all the applicable taxes (salary flight hours and allowance) or convert their service on a contractual basis with financial benefits on par with the financial package of the expat pilots.

"If neither of the above is done within three months, please consider this as the required three months' notice of resignation, after which we will be compelled to resign from the airline," the letter further stated.

 
• Nepal_Airlines
 
• Pilots_Resignation
 
• Discrimination
 
• Airline_Industry