Taking exception to the 'illegal and irresponsible' strike by a section of Air India staffers, the government on Wednesday gave a free hand to the airline to take firm measures to restore normalcy in its operations, the disruption of which has caused harassment to travellers.
The central government has agreed in-principle to Air India employees' main demands. It fears an industrial dissension now could impede the process of privatisation. It has agreed to bear the cost of liquidation loss on account of transfer to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from company-owned trusts, inclusion of employees in the central government health scheme (CGHS), and encashment of leaves. The template of the Air India process will be followed for other public sector undertakings up for privatisation at a later date.
Tokyo Olympics medal prospect Manu Bhaker has demanded action against two Air India employees for allegedly 'harassing' and 'insulting' her while the ace shooter tried to board a flight to Bhopal from Delhi.
The new owners of Air India will have to retain all the employees of the national carrier for at least one year post which they can offer a VRS. The gratuity, pension fund and post retirement medical benefits of existing and past employees too would be honoured by the new owner, civil aviation secretary Rajiv Bansal said. Tata Sons has emerged as the winning bidder for Air India with the government accepting its Rs 18,000 crore offer to acquire 100 per cent of the debt-laden state-run carrier.
Tata Group chief N Chandrasekaran on Thursday reached out to employees of Air India asking them to work together to build the airline that the country needs, while asserting that the "golden age" of the carrier lies ahead. In a welcome letter to the employees of Air India, after the Tata Group took over the management and control of the airline, Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, reflected on the airline's "brilliant past" but said the entire nation is now waiting to see what "we will achieve together". "From the day of the announcement (of Tatas winning the bid), one word has been on everyone's lips: Homecoming.
The sky outside was a perfect blue with fair winds on that hot day in July, but inside the Jaguar an emergency was unraveling with every passing second. Wing Commander Vernon Desmond Keane had two options: Eject and see his beloved aircraft crash -- which would come at a great cost to the nation and cause harm to civilian life and property on the ground. Or try the limits of his training; push the aircraft and his flying skills to the edge of technical and human endurance and save them both.
Some of the proposed policies have been welcomed by pilots and cabin crew, while others have sparked criticism.
More than 1,600 employees of Air India, the former state-run carrier now owned by the Tata group, have opted for voluntary retirement under a scheme announced on June 1. These employees comprise 22 per cent of permanent staff (around 7,000). The airline has a total employee strength of around 10,800, including those on contract.
Around 300 employees, carrying red flags, assembled in front of the old terminal in Delhi, shouting slogans against the management and demanding immediate payment of salaries. "The government cannot defer the salary as per the Payment of Wages Act. It must pay the salary by July 10. The company is not following the rules and regulations and taking decisions which is not in the interest of the employees," J B Kadiyan, general secretary, ACEU, said.
Heeding to workers' demands, state-run Air India on Tuesday decided to pay the wages and salaries of its employees on the July 14 and to the contractual staff on July 10.
Some airports in the country could face disruption in movement of flights due to the strike.
The court said if employees continue to hold on to flats then Air India Asset Holding Company would not be able to monetize the land to reduce the burden of Air India's debt.
A joint forum of Air India unions on Friday sought the labour department's 'urgent' intervention and initiation of conciliation proceedings in the matter of their passage policy and service conditions. On December 24, the forum comprising IPG, ACEU, AIEU and AICCA, in its demand notice to Air India managing director and chief executive officer Campbell Wilson, had protested against the changes in their service conditions. Tata Group took control of the then government-led Air India in January this year.
Citing various aspects, the forum has appealed to the DGCA to "withdraw the harsh punishment and suspension of the PIC". it said.
The home ministry has given security clearance to Air India CEO-designate Campbell Wilson, paving the way for him to take charge of the airline, according to a senior official. The appointment of Wilson as the chief executive officer and managing director of Air India was announced by Tata Sons on May 12. Tata Sons took over the loss-making carrier on January 27.
Divestment-bound Air India is looking to sell securities of its two provident trusts AIEPF and IAEPF, and has sought applications for transaction advisors to help with the proposed sale of the securities. The Air India Employees Provident Fund (AIEPF) trust and Indian Airlines Employees Provident Fund (IAEPF) trust are governed by the Provident Fund Trust Act, 1925. The two trusts' investments together amounted to Rs 4,500 crore as of August 31, 2021, according to the tender document, seeking RFPs for the appointment of the transaction advisors.
Due to the group's presence across multiple businesses, it is in a unique position in the aviation industry to bring the best of talents.
Air India is set to enhance its in-flight service with a change in ownership from Thursday. This will include more variety in on-board meals, improved in-flight service procedures, and reintroduction of amenities. Non-vegetarian meals are being introduced in the economy class of domestic flights after a gap of nearly four years. Air India is set to enhance its in-flight service with a change in ownership from Thursday. This will include more variety in on-board meals, improved in-flight service procedures, and reintroduction of amenities.
Planemakers have started pitching their latest aircraft to a privatised Air India which has been acquired by salt-to-steel conglomerate Tata Sons. European aerospace major Airbus on Monday said that it is in talks with the airline to sell its long haul aircraft Airbus A350-900. The wide-body aircraft is capable of flying non-stop between India and United States- one of the most popular and revenue generating routes.
Virtually addressing employees of Air India across the globe, he said for the airline to be the best again there will be an organisational redesign, and it will "require a huge transformation, probably the largest transformation and the change all of you would ever go through". The carrier will expand its "outreach both domestically and internationally" and it has the desire to connect India with every part of the globe, he added.
If the government is asking a maximum price for Air India but asks to keep old personnel, it will not match.
Continuing with their agitation, Air India employees on Friday staged a sit-in at the New Delhi airport to protest the decision of the airline management to defer payment of their salaries by a fortnight.
"I am not hiding and will speak to all after Wednesday," he said.
Salt-to-software conglomerate Tata group was among "multiple" entities who on Monday put in preliminary bids for buying the government's stake in loss-making carrier Air India.
The government is betting on the fact that it will be conducive for the new owner to give voluntary retirement scheme
Clouds of uncertainty continue to hover over the salaries of Air India employees.
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Air India employees should adopt a "more determined approach" to ensure that the turnaround of the airline becomes a reality.
An audit should determine whether a voluntary retirement scheme should be offered or staff redeployed or manpower strength slashed.
Though no strike threat has been given, a joint forum of eight Air India unions representing different sections of staff of the national carrier has said they would soon start wearing black badges, take out silent marches and rallies, hold gate meetings and adopt a 'No pay, No work' policy.
"There should be an inquiry to find out why our MP was forced to behave this way," Raut said.
Management to be restructured to monitor integration of erstwhile Indian Airlines and Air India.
It will also make up-to-date payment of productivity linked incentives for all licensed category employees between May and June.
Survey says about 60% were unhappy with the union of the two carriers.
Accepting a major demand of the cash-strapped aviation industry, the government on Tuesday said it would soon launch the process to allow foreign airlines 49 per cent stake in Indian carriers.
If the idea of LWP scheme is to only weed out around 600 employees and subsequently save the carrier Rs 10 crore a month, the management could have easily laid off the retired employees, who had an advantage over others by dint of having 'connections' internally and in the corridors of the ministry of civil aviation, say Air India staff.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday promised that wages and appropriate perks would be paid to Air India employees at the earliest after the financial problems of the ailing carrier found a resonance in Lok Sabha with members raising concern over non-payment of salaries.
The Bombay High Court has directed four office-bearers of the Aviation Industry Employees' Guild to resume duties by July 7, in a move that supports Air India's drive against absenteeism.
British Airways, Lufthansa, Etihad and Singapore Airlines are scouting for an Indian partner that meets the net worth criterion
Air India's employees should not consider their company any different from other firms that allow only authorised personnel to speak to the media, says Kanika Datta.
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