Kenya Airways Pilots Salaries: Kenya Airways has been planning to start paying its pilots on the per flight basis in a move that is set to be the source of the latest pay dispute between the national carrier and its pilots.
Kenya Airways resulted to this in an attempt to lower its wage bill. According to a report that appeared in a local daily, KQ chief executive officer Allan Kilavuka said that the airline would pursue talks with the pilots over the radical pay plan.
“We are looking at an arrangement where we pay pilots as they fly,” Kilavuka told the daily. “Where do we get cash to pay pilots if planes are grounded?”
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The report further said that KQ sought to cut costs in a plan that would see it lay off an unspecified number of workers, get rid of some assets and review aircraft leasing terms.
The national carrier also looked to cut up to 207 of its 414 pilot jobs over the next three years. “It expects to save nearly Sh. 3.24 billion if it meets the desired target of having between 207 and 248 pilots on its books. Pilots account for 10 percent of the airline’s total workforce, but take home the equivalent of 45 percent of the overall payout to employees or Sh. 6.48 billion based on the carrier’s wage bill for the year to December,” the report said.
This means, suggested the report, that on average a KQ pilot costs the company Sh. 1.3 million, a payout that matches the salaries and allowances of top chief executives of State-owned firms such as KenGen, Kenya-Re and Kenya Power.
However this plan has hit a deadlock after failing to to reach a deal for its pilots to be paid per trip. Kilavuka said talks are deadlocked with the pilots union to adopt a pay based on productivity. “The negotiations have been ongoing. We have not been able to get an agreement for them to move to productivity-based pay,” said Kivaluka. Pilots account for 10 percent of the airline’s total workforce, but take home the equivalent of 45 percent of the overall payout to employees or Sh. 6.1 billion based on the carrier’s wage bill for the year to December. Kenya Airways Pilots Salaries.
