Press release says no strike in Air India on April 2 says Air Corporation Employees Union

A very vociferous Press Release- posted by Neelam Mathews
March 25, 2012

Being the oldest and the largest TRADE UNION of Air India, we would like to bring to your notice that there is NO STRIKE of the ground staff, cabin crew other categories belonging to our Union and neither have we given any strike notice and Air India operations will be as smooth as they are on April 2^nd as well. Every summer seasons when the tourists traffic is bound to grow, workers of Air India are instigated by disgruntled elements to go on strike. Time and again, certain vested interest groups mislead people in general to create confusion among the esteemed passengers of Air India and resultantly the passengers stop making future bookings and obviously this gives benefits to our private rival airlines.

In the context of the Air India today, which includes both erstwhile Indian Airlines and Air India, while our Union has the status of being registered UNION since 1953, together with that our strongest Union has the backing of 12 other small associations and Unions of Air India, would like to clarify that resultant impact of any such an ostensible action of some splinter loosely connected groups / associations which are only confined to Mumbai is going to be NIL.  However, in Mumbai also we have Regional Body of ACEU together with Central bodies of small Unions/ Associations who have together formed a Group to prevent these splinter groups to mislead passengers and to issue misleading statements in the MUMBAI REGION. Therefore, we would appeal to all media through our Press Release to kindly NOT TO GIVE CREDENCE ANY MORE to the stories that AIR INDIA is going to come to a halt, because, if aired, it is any way going to mar Air India’s prospective sales in the market only.

Our workers Union in its last session had decided that we would make concerted efforts and cooperate with the management of the airline till the company comes out of the red.  In our last session, we had unanimously proclaimed, “WE BELIEVE THAT PASSENGER IS OUR EMPLOYER and WE WOULD NOT REPEAT NOT INCONVENIENCE OUR ESTEEMED PASSENGERS WHO GIVE US BREAD AND BUTTER”.  Workers of Air India have long realized that any STRIKE which bleeds the company actually becomes the reason for DELAY IN OUR SALARIES and help private rival airlines to make brisk business, while some of our members feel that these STRIKES are also MATCH-FIXED by some people.

Air India today is running under the debt of 72000 crores, and we are making Rs.22 crores daily losses. Last year’s Indian Commercial Pilots Association strike we lost the crucial revenue of Rs.300 crores liquidity by which the company would give us salary and we were forced to this delay in salaries trajectory. We would like to bring to your notice that unlike the PILOTS of Indian Airlines, AIR INDIA pilots enjoy much better salaries and benefits, while we don’t dispute their lifestyle and sustenance, but together with all the employees even PILOTS of Air India have the responsibility towards each other, and given the fact that one pilots’ one months’ salary which is around Rs.7-8 lakhs compared to the poor/ underprivileged employee of Air India is two years salaries. Therefore Air India Pilots Guild also have a larger responsibility because in case, there is disruption of any flight, it is going to any way cause further loss to the company which would further delay the salaries and allowances. And this would not only delay the salaries and allowances of Pilots but it would also delay the allowances of poor / underprivileged workers.  

The management had already issued the schedule of payment to us and our Union have accepted the schedule of payment spread for March, April and May, 2012 and we will not let this schedule be changed or deviated from by any ostensible threats that mislead our esteemed passengers.

Therefore, we appeal to media to understand our real issues and understand the fact that time and again  not only STRIKES became the reasons for NON-PAYMENT of our salaries but even IMPOTENT THREATS OF STRIKE even as ineffective as this one ALSO becomes potent cause for massive reduction in our sales and delay in our salaries indefinitely. We also would like to remind you that some quarters of the government wish to force a LOCKOUT on us and today most of the employees of KINGFISHER are on the streets, and by indulging into this strike-gimmickry whose interests are we going to be served obvious private airlines’. We would like to say that let the trade union movement in this airline be guided by need of the underprivileged and underpaid workers, who has the first right to all the resources of the airline and the most privileged ones should learn to have little patience. Therefore, please consult the oldest, largest and the strongly-knit cadre-based Union that is present all over India any of the telephones below for further information. 

 In the end we would request all the workers to not to be swayed by certain vested interest groups who are out to destabilize our airline and are going to serve the interests of private airlines. We would also request the management to take stern action against those saboteurs who are indulging into sabotaging Air India’s operations.  Workers Unity Zindabad. INQLAAB ZINDABAD.