At a time when workforce integration has become the biggest challenge in the Air India-Indian Airlines merger, the issue of disgruntled staff has come as a cropper in the merger process.
To the surprise of the Air India management, on Thursday, some 5,000 odd employees (including ground handling staff and cabin crew) split from the Air India Employees Union (AIEU, which had 12,000 members) to form a parallel union.
The union members want all employee-related issues to be settled amicably before the merger.
Says Kiran Pawaskar, president of the newly formed union, ?We have submitted a charter of demands which includes confirmation letters to be given to the junior cabin crew, along with bidding rights.?
The cabin crews are given bidding rights once a month, which include his preferences of time and days for flying. Generally, the in-flight staff selects his duty hours depending on his personal or social commitments.
For the past four years, junior cabin crews have been deprived of these rights.
A senior member of the union says, ?Issues pertaining to the HRA payments have been discussed with the higher rung officials but there has been no development on that front. We shall again take up this issue in the next meeting to be held soon with the CMD, V Thulasidas.?
However, VA Ferriera, executive director, HRD and in-flight service Air India told FE, ?We shall give the cabin crew their confirmation letters soon. There are no issues between the employees and the management. After the merger, which is slated in September, we shall give tough competitions to other airlines. Air India has a glorious history of 75 years. The employees are happy working with us.?
Explaining why there was a delay in giving the confirmation letters, Ferriera said that the junior staff qualifies to be confirmed only after he has worked in three different types of aircraft, for instance, aircraft like A310, B777 and B747. ?We shall verify each employee?s experience and promote him accordingly,? he added.