The Union labour ministry has reportedly issued a show cause notice to Tata Group-owned Air India Express over alleged violations of regulations related to disputes with the airline’s management and cabin crew members.
The notice is in response to concerns raised by cabin crew members, including issues such as room sharing during layovers. A complaint was filed with the labour department, and the matter is currently under conciliation as per the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
Show cause notice to Air India Express
The show cause notice alleges that the airline changed the service conditions of the workers during the conciliation proceedings, a move that is considered a violation of Section 33 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. This section pertains to conditions of service remaining unchanged during the pendency of conciliation proceedings.
The Regional Labour Commissioner (Central) in the national capital has issued the notice, questioning why action should not be initiated against Air India Express and its management for the alleged violation. The airline, which was acquired by the Tata Group in January of the previous year, implemented certain policies that were under the conciliation process.
How the issue unfolded
The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) had previously written to the civil aviation minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, expressing various grievances about the cabin crew members. Concerns had been raised about decisions on room sharing during layovers and the curtailment of service contracts for some members.
In response to these concerns, an Air India Express spokesperson stated that the policies and practices across the airline and AIX Connect are being aligned as part of the ongoing integration. This includes the practice of crew members sharing rooms on layovers, consistent with market practices followed by many other airlines in India and the region. “This includes crew members sharing rooms on layovers. This is consistent with the market practice followed by many other airlines in India and the region,” the spokesperson had said.
Air India Express, a profit-making entity, is currently in the process of merging with the loss-making AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India).