Czech Airline pilots accept pay cuts but only if carrier stays in state hands

The main pilots union at struggling state-controlled airlines Czech Airlines has declared that it will accept a 30 percent pay cut but only if the carrier is not privatised, the Czech News Agency reported on Tuesday. Swingeing cuts in pilots’ pay are part of the management’s restructuring plans but have been resisted so far. The Czech Ministry of Finance is currently weighing up the sole bid for around 90 percent of Czech Airlines from the Unimex-Travel Service Consortium. The government should give its verdict on whether the sale can go ahead by the end of the month.