Thai airways pilots' protest not affecting flights

Thai Airways International (THAI) played down reports that co-pilots were causing chaos by staging a protest that affected its flights during the busy Songkran period.The co-pilots are rumoured to be staging a silent protest by taking leave during the Songkran festival, when holiday travel demands peak, after negotiations with the airline's management about tax responsibilities had collapsed.THAI president  Piyasvasti Amranand admitted an unusually high number of co-pilots have taken leave for Songkran.

"There is an unusually high number of co-pilots taking leave. But it doesn't affect the operations so badly that we have to cancel flights," he said.

A source at THAI said that six months ago, the company increased entitlements for co-pilots.

But the co-pilots have not been satisfied because they wanted the company to compensate for their increased tax burden as a result of the increased benefit  which is an allowance to pay for their licences. They wanted the airline to absorb their tax costs for the pilots' licence allowance despite their employment contracts stating the pilots have to foot the tax bill.

THAI president  Piyasvasti Amranand admitted an unusually high number of co-pilots have taken leave for Songkran.

"There is an unusually high number of co-pilots taking leave. But it doesn't affect the operations so badly that we have to cancel flights," he said.

A source at THAI said that six months ago, the company increased entitlements for co-pilots.

But the co-pilots have not been satisfied because they wanted the company to compensate for their increased tax burden as a result of the increased benefit _ which is an allowance to pay for their licences. They wanted the airline to absorb their tax costs for the pilots' licence allowance despite their employment contracts stating the pilots have to foot the tax bill.

Vocabulary


play down                      PHRV. ลดความสำคัญของ
protest                           VT. ยืนกราน คัดค้าน syn. object, declare, compliant, disagree                        
affect                             VT. กระทบ syn. influence, sway, work on
rumor                             VT. ลือ ขาวลือ ข่าวโจษจัน syn. bruit, gossip, calumny, disclose
entitlement                    N. การมีสิทธิ
burden                          N. ภาระ syn. strain
employment                  N. สัญญาจ้างงาน syn. job, occupation, work
domestic                       ADJ. ภายในประเทศ
oversea                        ADJ. ต่างประเทศ
hostage                        N. ตัวประกัน เชลย syn. captive, pawn, prisoner
executive                      ADJ. เกี่ยวกับงานบริหาร syn. director, administrator
struggle                        VI. ดิ้นรน ต่อสุ้ syn. strive to, expert
dispute                         VI. โต้เถียง ถกเถียง syn. argue, antagonize