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May 2007

Indian Airlines ground support employees go on strike

     Mumbai: Strike by the employees deployed on the ground by state-owned Indian Airlines (IA), demanding payment of ten-year wage arrears, affected the services of the airlines on Thursday. The schedule of Indian Airlines and Air India were hit due to the strike. The carrier had already made alternative arrangements in view of the strike. About 12,000 airport workers, under the banner of Air Corporation Employees' Union (ACEU) are demanding payment of ten years' arrears on wages, which will cost the management five billion rupees. ACEU accounts for 14,000 of Indian Airlines's 18,000 employees. The workers decided to go on strike to press their demands after talks between the union and the IA management broke down. "The question is that as far as the arrears are concerned there is a directive from the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued in July 2006. It says that it will be prospective. When they say prospective the management is not in a position to settle the issue, because the word prospective is mentioned," said ACEU President DK Shetty. "As far as the employees are concerned it is our right (to protest) and we have no alternative. It is the lookout of the company where the money will come. The employees have given their labour and it is their legitimate right to get their dues," he said. The workers said they would step up their agitation from Friday, if the management does not agree to their demands. The Civil Aviation Ministry officials had earlier said that the government had set out broad guidelines for workers' compensation after the proposed merger of Air India and Indian Airlines, expected in July this year.
-May 17, 2007