With a view to improving ailing national air-carrier Air India's (AI) fortunes, a performance review of its top management was on the cards, Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi said today.
The exercise will be in addition to the review of lower- level cadre, he told reporters here.
"We will look into the performance of general workers -- this is separate. But the management aspect of this (performance), I will definitely look into it. What we can do to improve (Air India) performance...," Ravi said.
He, however, laughed off a question on whether he was happy with the performance of the top management.
The Minister was here on a two-day visit to the city, his first since taking charge of the Ministry last month, with an agenda to interact with the unions, seek their co-operation in AI's turnaround plan, as well as have discussions with the airline's senior management.
AI unions on several occasions in the past had alleged that the management did not take them into confidence about the air-carrier's turnaround plan.
Their other serious allegation relates to the lack of manpower integration between AI and Indian Airlines despite the passage of three-years since their merger.
"I patiently heard them (the unions). I have understood their problems. Now I have to find the solution -- I will be working on this," the Minister said.
The airline is also open to taking advice from a third party to achieve human resources integration between the two entities, Ravi said.
He said mutual cooperation between the management and unions were not as per his expectations and called for steps to make the merger effective and bring in pay parity.
He also ruled out a wage cut, saying, "That is not a solution (and) it is not on my mind. The solution lies in making the merger effective and bringing in pay parity."
To a question on whether disinvestment was an option before the government to keep afloat the air-carrier in the eventuality of its turnaround plan failing, Ravi said there was no such proposal at present.
The Minister said he would be meeting independent directors of the airline shortly in Delhi.
