| Font Size |
The protest, called by Aviation Industry Employees Guild (AIEG), Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) and some other unions, saw employees coming out of their offices in Delhi and Mumbai and stage demonstrations from one pm besides threatening to boycott their meetings with the management.
Around 300 employees, carrying red flags, assembled in front of the old terminal shouting slogans in Delhi against the management and demanding immediate payment of salaries.
"The government cannot defer the salary as per Payment of Wages Act. It must pay the salary by July ten. The company is not following rules and regulations and taking decisions which is not in the interests of employees," J B Kadiyan, General Secretary of ACEU, said.
In Mumbai, AIEG General Secretary, George Abraham, said, "We are staging a walk-out and demonstration for two hours as the management has failed to honour its commitment given to the unions to pay our June salaries by today."
There were no reports of disruption of AI services from the airport due to the protest.
The workers went ahead with their strike despite a Staff Notice issued earlier in the day by AI warning that "any participation in the illegal strike would be viewed seriously and appropriate action, including deduction of wages and withdrawal of Productivity-Linked Incentive till further orders, will be taken."
Warning them of "firm" action if flights were disrupted and passengers inconvenienced, the staff notice said the agitation by the Joint Action Forum would violate the Industrial Disputes Act and "tantamount to illegal strike".
Last night, AI CMD Arvind Jadhav had written to the employees that besides wages and salary payments every month, fuel and bank liabilities like interest and principal payments, have to be paid on time.
However, the unions blamed the management of "going back on their word" to pay the salaries by Friday.
The unions had called off their proposed strike on June 30 after the management agreed to pay salaries of 70 per cent of workers by today. They were protesting the earlier decision of the management to defer the June salary by the middle of this month.
Kadiyan alleged that the company is being "damaged systematically by certain vested interests who want to sell Air India off. This we will never allow."
He also demanded a CBI enquiry into the Air India's plan to buy 68 aircraft for Rs 6,000 crore when its annual budget is Rs 7,000 crore.
"The total budget of Air India is Rs 7,000 crore and then why it decided to buy aircraft worth Rs 6,000 crore. Air India has plans to purchase 24 aircraft and Indian Airlines has plan to buy 43 aircraft. But later Air India changed its fleet plan and within 24 weeks firmed a plan to buy 68 aircraft," he said.
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|
When the Minister promises not to fire or layoff why not then go on strike. After all AI belongs to people being a PSU and who cares for paying customers.There are foreign airlines to take rest of the 15-20 % foreign travel by other airlines.A nation with such andolans and strike cannot move on. Yes there is losses on all the airlines but one doenot see such lawlessness.In europe and US the pilots have taken pay cuts but Indians Unions are so powerful and spoiled that one cannot talk of any such pay cuts.FIRE THE LOT AND STOP FLYING FOR FEW DYAS LIKE INDIRA GANDHIO DID DURING EMERGENCY WITH RAILWAYS
I happen to certain ppl who work in this co.as cabin crew n ground staff, they have been doing the very same thing that they were earlier providing service n saying sorry for the Mgt.'s poor decisions. Everybody who takesover Air India comes to make a legacy with no love for the Co. n best of all no accountability.How can AI
The Air India staff are aged out like their aircraft. So tired are they that, they feel it insulting to do a proper Namskar when a passenger boards or alights from an aircraft. Over the past few years they are used to steal food and drinks from aircraft, inspite of several cases of suspensions and dismissals for their attitude and arrogance. Tatas brought in the process of recruiting the employees offspring to continue the positive culture that was there during those days. That had lost its route somewhere and taken a negative route. Now tha staff feel that the airline is their "Baap ka dukan" It is time now Manmohan Singh to implement a solid reform to turn it around or shut the airline. It is taxpayers money that the staff are eating. The staff of AI must remember this. The charm of the airline is lost long long ago. The culture of bad attitude and arrogance has crept into teh younger generation tht is working with the airline. The AI staff do not deserve any sympathy.
"0" tolerance, "stricter measures", "warning" have lost their meaning in India. people are not afraid of shoot at sight oreder - will they be afraid of warning? Congress's rule has robbed us of our dignity, honor,until a true Nationalist party dedicated to cause of motherland can come to power - "Mother India" will suffer in hands of Congress.
I live in Dubai and am from Coimbatore.Previously I used to travel I.C to Coimbatore(Sharjah-Cochin-Coimbatore.This particular sector was shut down.Now Air Arabia operates direct fglights 5 days a week and all flights are full.Fly Dubai of Dubai Govt is launching operations to Coimbatore soon.These airlines would not have started operations until there was good load factor.As an Indian I would have loved to travel I.A but for mysterious reason this route has been donated to other airlines.....maybe it is time A.I/I.A is shut down or privatised and staff told to behave.
AI staff should go on indefinite strike without pay.India does not need Air India to fly planes. There are other alternatives
The economy world over is going through a bad phase.Instead of cooperating with the govt. in facing these challenges, these people are creating more troubles.They are like "bigde nawaab" who just cannot survive without privelages just for few months.Just send them to private sector and they will know where they stand.The pvt. sector employees are getting delayed salaries for months and still they understand the problems , cooperating with their employers and not halting the services.Learn something from them.They are all young people ,may be sons and daughters of these "brats" who are holding the system to ransom and creating hurdles in providing the services.