Various employee unions of Air India have come together to demand that the airline’s privatisation plans be scrapped and that the government initiate a dialogue with them before taking a decision.
Earlier this week, union members handed over a joint petition to this effect to Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien at Mumbai airport.
Mr. O’Brien, who is the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee in charge of Civil Aviation, Transport and Tourism, called Air India “a national treasure” and said it cannot be privatised. “I have promised them that we will call a delegation to Delhi and set up a meeting with the parliamentary committee, and we will oppose the privatisation,” Mr. O’Brien said.
The union leaders recently also met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to seek support.
Common platform
“Our main goal is to bring all Air India unions on a common platform to resist the airline’s privatisation,” said a representative of one of the unions. While the federation comprises three unions, he said talks are on with Indian Airlines unions, staff unions and pilots’ unions to join the platform.
The unions have said that workers should not be made to pay for faulty decisions made by the management and the government, such as the unplanned fleet acquisition.
“When the combined turnover of Air India and Indian Airlines was only around ₹14,000 crore, how could they buy a fleet worth ₹50,000 crore without taking into account the interest burden of the loan?” a leader of one of the major unions asked.
The unions said the airline is making operational profits and that it is in loss only due to the repayment of the loan.
Rushed decision
The employees don’t want the government to rush into privatisation. “Why this sudden urgency to sell the airline? Half of its staff are on contract anyway,” said one union representative. “Now that you have acquired a brand new fleet, you have increased your revenue. Your load factor is good, your employee strength is reduced, and the airline is reviving. So why sell it now?” he asked.
The state-run carrier has a debt burden of over ₹50,000 crore. On June 28, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave an in-principle nod for the strategic sale of Air India and five of its subsidiaries. Three of the subsidiaries are profit-making arms: the maintenance repair and overhaul unit Air India Engineering Services Limited; ground handling arm Air India Transport Services Limited; and Air India Charters Limited.
