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Unlike private airlines’ employees, who have restricted passages and specific definition of family to include only immediate members such as self, spouse, dependent children and parents, Air India’s definition is far more generous.
According to Air India, an employee’s family, entitled to travel free with him/her, includes: spouse, children, step-children, parents, brothers, sisters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and even grandchildren up to 12 years.
Even those who have retired are entitled to passages. “This has led to a situation where former Air India employees, currently employed with private airlines, avail passages on Air India,” said another executive.
In fact, freebies like passages are at the heart of the trouble fomenting at the airline, and one of the main reasons why the union decided to declare a strike. The matter was raised repeatedly at union leaders’ first meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi, soon after the strike notice in February.
In a proposal submitted to a Board committee looking into the harmonisation of pay and working conditions of erstwhile Indian Airlines and Air India, the only concession unions wanted to make was drop “grandchildren” from the definition of family.
Air India and erstwhile Indian Airlines follow separate policies on “passages”, entitlement to which depends on factors like rank and years in service. Over and above this privilege, employees are also entitled to “discounted passages”, where discounts may vary from 50 per cent to 90 per cent for family.
Currently, executive pilots belonging to erstwhile Indian Airlines are entitled to six domestic passages in a year, and unlimited international ones, said an airline source. Similarly, co-pilots or line pilots are entitled to six domestic passages, and restricted passages on international routes served on Air India network.
“At a meeting of the Human Resources (HR) sub-committee of the Board, the members suggested that such a definition of family be curtailed to include only the immediate family. But it was shot down by a company executive who said that the proposal must first be ratified by the unions, which would otherwise proceed on strike,” said a Board member.
This was also a reason for the opposition to the airline hiving off separate business units, as employees absorbed in those would lose their entitlement to passages.
Independent directors like Ambuja group’s Harsh Neotia and retired Air Marshal Fali Major have reportedly expressed shock at the extent of entitlement of free passages.
Air India has accumulated losses to the tune of Rs 18,000 crore and has to run to lenders each month to pay salaries to its employees.
What the unions want
...And what the Board felt were “too much for an airline neck deep in losses”:
All those of the rank of Deputy General Manager be entitled to 12 passages on domestic and international routes each in a year; covers executive pilots
General Managers be eligible for 16 passages each on domestic and international flights in a year
Executive directors be eligible for 20 passages each on domestic and international flights in a year
In addition, permanent employees (those who have completed a year in service) be entitled to unlimited passages on confirmed booking on payment of 50 per cent of economy price on all routes under the airlines network; these tickets be restricted to spouse, children and parents only.
Passages for those retired, depending on their designation at the time of retirement, to vary between 8 and 20, in addition to 50 per cent concessional passages; for those retired, family includes spouse, dependent children and dependent parents only.
Employees can accumulate passages for two years.
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As the imbroglio with the airlines pilots entering another day of turmoil and disruptions for the paying passengers who are the eventual sufferers in the stalemate situation, the country is being drugged with the spicy tit-bits being divulged by the Air India management on what actually are the causes for the highly paid pilots to continue with their stir. The pilots have been letting out laments that they are all for the survival and good management of the airlines but they remain blind to the existence of the other working staff and seek only self-gratification in their adamant posture they have adopted. The Govt. has to act swiftly to enforce a clampdown on such disastrous behavior by the pilots and withdraw all free passages to the entire airline staff, their family and extended families as well, later review the facility and subject it to the immediate employee family, not anyone outside of that circle. Pack off Air India and close shop if the Pilots continue with their stir.
Air India needs to be dissolved forthwith. Let the private air lines carry the Indian flag. They have a profit motive but intense competition will keep them in check. There is no reason Air India should survive any longer.
The biggest bane of this airline has been-that it runs more for its employees and their family members, rather than for the passengers or Commercial purpose. When management wants to take corrective action, they are threatened with strike. Enough is enough. These eemployees have become a liability to national exchequer, and should be sacked, even if it means a strike or a lock out.
The government should be strict and not give in to the blackmail by the pilots. The Govt. must send a strong message that they will close down the airline but will not encourage this kind of thuggery by these ungrateful pilots. Enough of the nonsense !
As the imbroglio with the airlines pilots entering another day of turmoil and disruptions for the paying passengers who are the eventual sufferers in the stalemate situation, the country is being drugged with the spicy tit-bits being divulged by the Air India management on what actually are the causes for the highly paid pilots to continue with their stir. The pilots have been letting out laments that they are all for the survival and good management of the airlines but they remain blind to the existence of the other working staff and seek only self-gratification in their adamant posture they have adopted. The Govt. has to act swiftly to enforce a clampdown on such disastrous behavior by the pilots and withdraw all free passages to the entire airline staff, their family and extended families as well, later review the facility and subject it to the immediate employee family, not anyone outside of that circle. Pack off Air India and close shop if the Pilots continue with their stir.
To all the perks and free passages mentioned above, just one needs to be added and the employees have nothing to worry about for the rest of their thieving lives. Just allow them the facility of receiving their salaries even if they do not report to work.That's it, that will be the day.Personally, I feel it is better for Air India to be dissolved and sold off and the employees can be paid their salaries as if they were working till the date they would have retired. The sham airline that Air India is, it is losing money sitting on the ground and even more money when on the rare occassions it is in the air. It is time to cut losses and just pay their salaries from the Ministry of Finance Budget every year.The aircraft and the properties can be sold off for the purpose.At least the losses will be minimised that way.
Since AI is incurring losses all such freebees must be curtailed.I understand when Air Lines in USA were in difficulty they started Charging $20.00 per pc. of booked luggage.Passengers were allowed only one pc. of Hand baggage.We have read about how they were charging an extra tkt. for obsesse passengers. When the Air Line is running under losses the employees should forego all such trivial demands."No Profit -No Benifit " for AI Employees.Top Brass of AI must also ensure "No unwarrented" spending for the Director and senior Staff.All "AI" employees must remember that it is acommercial organisation.
The perks offered is ridiculous. Why should they be offered so many passages every year. Is this passage not taxable? When Government employees get once in four years and that to according to the limited definition of family, why these people should get so many each year? We have borne the strike for five days now, let us once and for all settle this issue and rationalize the rules. Let the Government take very stron action to streamline the procedures to make the airlines the pride of India like other flourishing PSUs.
Its a shame that the Air India pilots should seek free passages for their son/daughter -in-law and grand children. In fact ,they should be monetarily compensated and not even the immediate family members be permitted free passages. An airlines that is in the red and has lost thousands of crores can ill afford such perks for its pilots. Sack them all- even if it means prolonged shut down.
Air India is a phony company that makes all the time lose that payed by tax payers. Its a honey pot for "politicians" and "employees" also known as con artists. Its a high time to shutdown the company and save the country. This scan poses a threat to the national security. Private sector is always provide competitive service just like everywhere else in the world. Good news is that we do have them already.
Let the management dole out such astronomic perks and salaries from air india's own earnings. If such clauses are to be agreed, they do not deserve any bailout from the government. Why should tax payers money go waste for a retired air india officials granddaughters Timbuktu holiday trip?
SOLUTION ALL THOSE CONNECTED WITH AIRINDIA WHO IS LOOSING HEAVILY SHOULD BE GIVEN WHAT THEY WANT ON CONDITIONS ARE THR FAMILY AND OTHERS WHO WANTS TO TRAVEL FREE SHOULD BE F D AT THE AIRPORT IN FRONT OF ALL STUPD IDIOT GOVT FIRE ALL THSOE OR CLOSE THE AIRLINE don shah hongkong
This is exactly what we get when we support a weak sarkar with weakened law & order, purely based on maa-bob quid-pro-quo principles. Democracy with no rule of law that enforces equity, fairness and justice to the people can only be next to chaos and confusion. It is time we learn the lessons from AI/IA sad episodes, the important ones being it is NOT the business of government to operate hotels, airlines, massage parlors, barber shops, milk booths, meat retail shops, etc. Government must learn and do the good governance of providing essentials of life: e.g. education, public health, potable water, environment safeguard, food and life security, ensuring shelter, roads and communications, etc.
is there any job for me in air india ?
Air India employees get free tickets for their immediate family, parents, siblings,spouse and children, which are subject to a seat being available, all government taxes are paid on these tickets. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, wants previous Secretary,s to be given First Class Tickets. All companies give perks to their employees,a person not on the rolls demanding a perk seems strange.
Why should INdian taxpayers pay free travel cost for bleeding airline for few elite pilots and their extended family? Either they should shutdown airline or sell majority stake to reputed airline to save colossal losses to INdian taxpayers due to excesses of ministers, bureaucrats and elite Air India staff, ex-staff. When IONDian economy has opened why should Air INdia be a holy cow any more???
The striking people must understand the plight of the common passengers,how much they suffer.They must leave their ego and return to services and serve the nation .The passengers get worst hit.I myself got a ticket booked a month ago & now pilots are on strike ,alas,donot know what to do and have a limited period of leave.
This is outrageous. How can you run an airline with this much loot in its functioning. That is why Air India is running in loss. All AI office bearers - senior and even junior - enjoy eye opening benefits nowhere to be found in the world. The move to curtail some unnecessary entitlements in an ailing airline met with strike by its employees is too bad. These employees do not care for an airline which feeds them and their families and supports their lavish life-style. To rescue the airline they are not prepared to make even the smallest sacrifice. In fact, the Government should privatize it totally. If it is not possible, then wind it up which can later be reopened by private airlines. Who will run an airline with loss?