This refers to the editorial “Restoring Air India's health” (May 9). In the 10-day confrontation, it is the taxpayer who has been left with a bloody nose. The political class has reduced Air India to becoming a bus service, a far cry from when it was an airline that drew envy across the world. Air India is one more public sector unit that has been run into the ground, deliberately.
J. Akshobhya
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Pay parity was one of the basic assurances given to Indian Airlines employees before the merger with Air India. It is unfortunate that there does not seem to be any solution to bringing about harmony in the organisation.
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Kadapa
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Legitimate demands of the employees should be met, provided they too are sincere, loyal and disciplined. Government staff are public servants and should have ethics to serve the people and not inconvenience them at any cost. Should the management wait to take a decision until it loses crores and let the private airlines fleece the public?
V.P. Dhananjayan,
Chennai
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The Civil Aviation Minister has said that the interests of all sections of employees will now be taken care of. Two major unions of Indian Airlines have been derecognised and their leaders sacked. How will such staff be represented before the Justice (retd.) D.M. Dharmadhikari committee?
Employees who have retired since 1997 from the IA have not been paid salary arrears. What happens to them?
M.N. Gopalakrishnan,
Chennai
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Air India's new fleet of aircraft is another problem, and the reason why it has large debts. Earlier, passengers avoided travelling by the airline because its fleet was, till recently, very old. Now that it has brand new planes, it is a mystery why it is still unable to fill up seats.
Second, the airline management complains that it has too many new aircraft. Is there a clause in the acquisition deal that states that it has to hold on to all the aircraft? Or is there corruption in this as well? If it is a problem of excess, why can't some aircraft be sold or leased and the money used to settle its mind-boggling debts?
Finally, if the Dharmadhikari panel recommendations are not to the satisfaction of employees, will they strike work again?
Capt. M. Krishnan,
New Delhi
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Thanks to the Air India strike, people are now aware of the extent of corruption in the airline. Corruption occurs only because of weak managers, ministries and governments.
Rakesh Manchanda,
New Delhi
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Strangely, the strike has highlighted the need to have a national carrier. Air India's woes resulted in the private airlines showing their true colours.
K.V. Seetharamaiah,
Hassan