Air India cuts pay of executives

Air India (AI) on Wednesday pared incentives to its senior staff, but left the strike-prone general staff untouched. The loss-making airline’s board approved a cut in productivity linked incentives (PLI) of about 7,000 executive-level employees, including pilots, engineers and executive cabin crew.

A statement from the Indian flag carrier late on Wednesday said the cut, applicable to all officers in various management disciplines, will range from 25% for those getting PLI of Rs 10,000 or less and 50% for those receiving PLI or flying-related allowances of Rs 2 lakh or more a month. The reduction for those receiving PLI of Rs 10,001 to Rs 25,000, Rs 25,001 to Rs 50,000 and Rs 50,001 to Rs 2 lakh will be 35%, 40% and 45%, respectively. The cut will be effective from PLI payable in August 2009, AI said.

However, the airline, wobbling under a debt of Rs 16,000 crore,

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Reliance Retail to lay off 900 in select departments

Around 900 workers employed directly and indirectly with Reliance Retail are to get pink slips. To be laid off are employees working in its land acquisition and statutory clearance teams across the country. The layoffs are the latest in a series of setbacks faced by the organised retail sector as the global meltdown affects the Indian economy. Reliance Retail is a subsidiary of the country’s largest private sector company, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd.

According to informed sources, around half the employees slated to lose their jobs are on the company rolls while the balance are with outsourced agencies providing support services. The disbanding of the teams appears to indicate that the company does not plan any major land acquisitions in the near future.

Members of the larger land acquisition team stationed in several states are tasked with identifying and acquiring land for retail stores and SEZs.

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