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"We are planning to offer leave without pay for three to five years. We can consider it for about 15,000 employees," Air India CMD Raghu Menon said.
He said those who take up the offer to go on leave would be taken back, if they so desire, at the same seniority and last drawn pay.
An official of National Aviation Company of India Ltd, the holding company of Air India, clarified that this was not tantamount to retrenchment as was being done by private carriers Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines.
Jet laid off 1,900 jobs as it tries to ward off the impact of the financial crisis in the aviation sector.
The official said that a proposal for leave without pay could be brought before the company's Board soon.
The government on Wednesday had ruled out any job cuts in Air India, which employs nearly 25,000 people, with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel saying that there were no plans to prune staff strength.
"No...Air India is not going to have any job cuts. Certainly it (the aviation crisis) will affect the growth plans, it will affect the future employment opportunities which would have come the way of Air India in case the aviation industry was in a much better financial health," Patel said.
"But as of now I do not have the luxury to say beyond the fact that those who are working for the Air India shall continue to do so and we shall not have any issue of people being laid off," he said.
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many employees of indian airlines have exhausted all their leave--pl,sl,cl---but still they are retained. only MOCK ENQUIRY PROCEEDINGS ARE CONDUCTED----SOME PERSONS EARN MUCH MORE BY INDULGING IN UNDESIRABLE ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE-----SO THEY DO NOT BOTHER FOR SALARY ------there is unholy nexus between union leaders and top bosses of personnel department----they protect all these MISSING EMPLOYEES- BUT VICTIMISE SINCERE AND HARDWORKING EMPLOYEES UNDER VARIOUS PRETEXT----A ACTUALLY A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN AIRLINES IS REQUIRED---in fact personnel department is not required-----administration should be done by CMD SECRETARIAT.
many employees of indian airlines have exhausted all their leave--pl,sl,cl. ---WHY THEY ARE NOT SACKED. ONLY MOCK ENQUIRY PROCEEDINGS ARE CONDUCTED BUT NOTHING HAPPENS-----many employees earn much more by indulging in OTHER ACTIVITIES--so they do not bother to attend office---they do not even bother for salary because they earn much more in other activities-----THERE IS UNHOLY NEXUS BETWEEN UNION LEADERS AND TOP BOSSES OF PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT---THEY CAREFULLY PROTECT THESE PERSONS BUT VERY OFTEN VICTIMISE SINCERE AND HARD WORKING EMPLOYEES IN VARIOUS WAYS------personnel department of indian airlines should be TOTALLY OVERHAULLED-------employees having zero leave balance should be sacked SUCH WHITE ELEPHANTS AT TAX PAYERS MONEY WITH NO WORK
It is surprising that despite so many Indians travelling to US and Europe, AI and other Indian airlines make no profits. Does the Indian government properly compensate AI for the equipment they use for official purposes? AI has to conduct an analysis of how many people of what skill levels they must have and who their excess people are. Then AI has to come up with several alternative carrot and stick approaches to get back to profitability.
So many people in AI don't deserve job in the national carrier. AI is like maintaining old gizers. A senior man talking to his friendes "I prefered to travel AI, because at least we can see the AIR HOSTESS of ourage, unlike other airlines!".
As I predicted with the Private airline - Jet Airways, the pink slips popping up more often, it is high time that the Govt run Air India should cut its huge redundant workforce to make sure that the costs are optimized. However, the idea of an unpaid leave is really a good idea wherein the staff is free to take up another job for that period of time and earn for themselves and also helping AI to stem its losses. The most important thing here is to make sure that the personnel who take up this scheme should be reinstated with no loss of seniority or pay hike.
The offer to send thousands on leave without pay is unique but avoids the basic issue,that is, massive overstaffing. If Air India wants to function as a profitable airline company it must take the tough path and reduce personnel for good. All else is eye wash.
... AI has a surplus staff of 15000 out of 25000; or 2.5 times what is required to run the airline. WOW!
Why should Praful Patel decide what course of action Air-India should take? Isn't the airline supposed to be run by an independent board? Will he allow them to take a competent business decision or does he believe in imposing stupid and populist decisions on them? For all show of professionalism, ministers like him still believe that PSU's are their fiefdoms to be manipulated and milked.
Date: Oct 16, 2008Almighty,There are several irregularities starting right from inclusion of names in so called pErmanent rolls. It is all terrors, crimes, blackmail, threats, strikes etc etc white collar way around that have been causing all sorts of nuisances, imbalances. While this welcome step will help management contain matters considerably, it will help society evolve new ways of living happily. This is in best interest of entire nation, universe per se. Enabling changes in ways of living and living happily is prime for universal welfare.Prayer for support to all to enable this change. This is DEFINITELY a POSITIVE and welcome step.Thank You,P. Suresh
Air-India should sell its properties, office blocks in Bombay and go to a cheaper city, eliminate all free passes, business class and first class travel for its executives, reduce salaries at all level by 10 to 20 percent( for higher level), offer more flights from Eastern India
Yeah... come to Calcutta and face the unionized labor. I worked in Calcutta Airport (for AI 24) years ago for few months, before my Masters and switching career. In Bombay, it's political bullying with some agenda or other, but in in Calcutta it was systemic bullying. You have to be there to understand it.
Ya there are many alternatives as earlier said and all the private industries should consider those, and even the emplyees who are not laid off they will also compromise with the same...afterall these crisis are not on the roof of individual...every one should come up and help others..