Indonesia carrier Garuda pilots threaten to strike

Garuda Indonesia pilots have threatened to strike on Thursday over a pay dispute with the national carrier, but management said there would be no disruptions to flights. Garuda Pilots Union head Stephanus Geraldus told reporters the company had rejected demands for equal compensation between local and foreign pilots on its payroll. "The management sees local pilots only as production tools. Foreign co-pilots receive 100 percent more wages than local pilots receive, and this is unfair," Geraldus said. The 24-hour strike would begin at midnight on Wednesday and apply to all pilots due to work on outbound flights from Jakarta, he said. Garuda management said the strike had been anticipated and promised that all flights would go ahead on schedule. "Garuda has prepared pilots who have been working as instructors and who belong in the management structure," Garuda spokesman Pujobroto said. He said the company had hired about 34 foreign pilots since October as it seeks to expand following a $500 million listing on the Jakarta stock exchange. Garuda posted net profits of 515.50 billion rupiah ($59.2 million) in 2010, down about 40 percent on the previous year due to an aggressive expansion plan including the recent purchase of 25 new Airbus planes. Revenue rose 9.4 percent to 19.5 trillion rupiah and the airline carried 13 million passengers compared to 10.3 million in 2009, the company said.