Air-India staff calls off indefinite strike

Protest was over productivity-linked wages, allowances.

An indefinite country-wide strike launched by around 8,000 of Air-India's 14,000 employees from this afternoon was called off at 12:00 midnight, according to sources.

The striking employees comprised ground-handling staff, service engineers, traffic assistants and accounts department staff, among others.

The employees had been protesting against differences over productivity linked incentives and allowances ahead of the merger with domestic carrier Indian Airlines.

The issues related to productivity-linked incentives would be resolved in a month, said union sources. Other issues would be taken up in a meeting between the department of public enterprises, the ministry of civil aviation and the Air India management, which will take place soon.

"We want our demands fulfilled before the merger," YE Reddy, president, Aviation Industry Employees Guild, which covers 18 departments in A-I, said.

The guild's demands relate to disparities in performance-linked incentives, introduced in 1996, and other allowances with Indian Airlines counterparts. According to the guild, the performance-linked incentives have been revised twice for Indian Airlines employees but not even once for A-I employees.

"Disparities in performance-linked incentives between technicians of Indian Airlines and A-I range between Rs 3,000 and Rs 10,000 a month. At officer levels, the difference comes to around Rs 6,000 while at higher levels, such as executive directors', it is as high as Rs 50,000 a month," Reddy said.

The guild had also asked the management to revise allowances of house rent and city compensation, which have been pending from January 1, 1997.

When contacted, A-I Executive Director (finance) S Venkat said: "The strike is unjustifiable and unreasonable. These issues have not been raised in any forum earlier and a majority of the wage issues had already been settled with the unions. Though there could be delays in the flights, we are managing with casual and temporary staff to handle this situation."

The guild pointed out that a high-powered committee had been constituted on April 17, 2006 to submit a report on wage revisions. The committee submitted the report around four months ago but it was turned down by the board of directors. The management said a separate committee would be formed after the merger.

"With these pending issues, the guild has been left with no alternative but to resort to a nation-wide strike to press for immediate resolution of its demands," said George Abraham, general secretary of the guild.

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DIFFERENCES OVER productivity-linked incentives will be resolved in a month

THE GUILD had said while the performance-linked incentives have already been revised twice for Indian Airlines employees, they have not been revised even once for A-I staff

AROUND 8,000 of Air-India's (A-I's) 14,000 employees had gone on an indefinite countrywide strike

THE EMPLOYEES comprised ground-handling staff, service engineers, traffic assistants and accounts department staff