Passengers annoyed, airline employees miffed

Scores of passengers who travel by air seemed to be affected yesterday as the Air Corporation Employees' Union (ACEU) went on a one-day strike. More than 12,000 employees like the loaders and the counter staff had called the agitation against the disparity in their wages.
The strike also led to some delays in the air travelling.
A.T. Raj, regional secretary of ACEU said, "The wage agreement of more than 12,000 Indian employees is pending since 1997 and it is still lying unnoticed. However, it is good to know that Air-India has already cleared its outstanding payments of their employees. Then why this partiality against us? Today onwards, there will be a mass action plan with hunger strike and mass leave on all-India basis."
Sources said that the decision to go on the offensive was taken after parleys between the union and IA management broke down. ACEU has demanded that employees be paid ten years' arrears on wages, which the management said would result in an unacceptably high outgo
of Rs. 500 crores.
Although Indian Airlines said the issue would be sorted out in the presence of a labour conciliation officer, the airline has drawn up a contingency plan for rescheduling and combining flights.
17/05/07 Afternoon Dispatch & Courier

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Categories: Indian May 2007