Members of the ASPA pilots union who fly for Aeroméxico announced that they will take a 50% salary cut and donate up to 65% of benefits in order to support the company during the difficult economic times caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The 1,176 Aeroméxico pilots are the largest group of professionals in Mexico to band together to support their employer during the crisis so far, despite the airline announcing last week that it was going to scale down service significantly to and from Europe.

Besides the decrease in salary, they will also create a rotational system of optional unpaid leave. If a minimum number of leave permits are not taken voluntarily, they will be randomly divided among the remaining active pilots.

They will also temporarily relinquish other contractual provisions, such as overtime and night pay, the legally mandated seventh-day bonus for working six consecutive days, productivity bonuses and training.

Benefits such as social security and health and life insurance will remain in place.

Union president Rafael Díaz Covarrubias noted the size and impact the move will have on the industry and said that the historic measure aims to safeguard the pilots’ source of employment.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures, and in an unprecedented move, the pilots of ASPA have shown that the determination with which we’ve negotiated salary raises is as great as [our determination] to support the companies with whom we are collectively contracted,” Díaz said.

ASPA said it will remain in constant communication with the pilots and the airlines as the health crisis progresses.

Source: El Universal (sp)