We're not involved in this: Union

Mumbai: Nearly six decade ago in 1951, when aviation experts B G Menon and P S Menon set up an organisation, Air Works, their goal was to create
world-class aviation services of unsurpassed quality and reliability. Accordingly, they introduced state-of-the-art aviation maintenance centres at 10 airports across the country. Today, the company is controlled by Ravi and Raghu Menon, but owing to inept handling of industrial and labour disputes, the image of the once prestigious company has been tarnished.
An initial probe into the detection of the pebbles and gravel in the gear box of the helicopter owned by industrialist Anil Ambani has not only confirmed the involvement of two employees of Air Works, but found that at least untoward incidents had been reported between June 2008 and November 2008.Following a complaint lodged by Ambani, the crime branch got into the act; investigations into the previous incidents were moving very slowly.
There are less than 120 employees in Mumbai, of which only 60 are members of the helpers' union Maharashtra General Kamgar Mahasangh (MGKS). The MGKS has distanced itself from the entire episode. "Our members are not involved in the episode,'' said Arun Jadhav, general secretary, MGKS.
"We have been struggling for the rights of the employees, but the management has deliberately ignored our demands,'' said Jadhav.
If Jadhav is to be believed, then the MGKS had submitted a charter of demands on revision of pay scales, increase in basic wages, daily allowances, leaves, bonus and reinstatement of five suspended employees. The Air Works management has condemned the incident, saying, it has initiated appropriate legal proceedings against the erring employees.
05/05/09 Prafulla Marpakwar/Times of India

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Categories: Airports May 2009, Indian Aviation- In General May 2009, Safety May 2009