Three of Air India’s (AI’s) most influential labour unions have petitioned the President Pratibha Patil asking that the state owned carrier’s chairman and managing director (CMD) Arvind Jadhav be removed. In a strongly worded letter, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), the Air Corporations Employees Union and the Indian Aircraft Technicians Association have asked that an enquiry be instituted against Mr. Jadhav.
The letter which details the state of affairs in the airline’s, states that there can be “no viable turnaround plan” as long as Mr. Jadhav is at the helm. It comes at a time when the ICPA, the union that represents 560 Air India pilots, has indicated that it would go on strike from the midnight of November 30 if their demands are not met.
The memorandum also draws the President attention to “the background and the reasons which have led to the current financial mess in Air India” and calls for an investigation into actions of the Minister of Civil Aviation Praful Patel.
