SINGAPORE : Singapore Airlines said Tuesday it has signed a collective agreement with its pilots' union, ending protracted and sometimes bitter negotiations over wages and employment terms.
The airline said the three-year accord signed on Monday with the Air Line Pilots Association of Singapore (ALPA-S) narrows down the gap between the minimum and maximum salaries of pilots.
It also provides for a bigger portion of remuneration to be in the form of a variable component linked to productivity.
To increase productivity, the annual limit on flying hours would be raised to 1,000 hours from 900.
Pilots' annual leave was also raised to between 32 and 36 days from 28 days, SIA said in a statement to the Singapore stock exchange.
SIA chief executive Chew Choon Seng said the signing of the agreement would enable the carrier to focus on meeting increasing competition as the aviation industry is liberalised and the number of low-fare carriers expands.
"The amicable conclusion of this new agreement enhances harmony in the organisation and enables SIA to be united in meeting the challenges that all airlines will face with more open and liberal markets, where superior service and price competitiveness will be key success factors," he said. - AFP