Panel on AI-IA wage parity to get into action next week

Mumbai: The wage parity issue between erstwhile Indian Airlines (IA) and Air India (AI) seems close to being resolved, with an arbitration committee scheduled to meet the unions and management from next week onwards to study various aspects of the issue.
An independent, four-member committee of experts will look into the matter and arrive at a final conclusion. the panel will include Justice (retd) DN Dharmadhikari as chairman, along with Syed Nasir Ali as member secretary. The committee will be based at Safdarjung Airport in New Delhi and is expected to deliver its report within five months.
FE had reported on January 17, that national carrier AI will set up an arbitration committee headed by a retired judge to look into the matter.
HP Ranina, advocate, Supreme Court told FE, “In this case, wherein an arbitration panel has been set up by AI, the arbitrators’ award will be final and binding and will become a decree in the court.” Prior to forming the arbitration panel, Nacil (National Aviation Company of India Limited) that runs AI, had conducted a series of meetings with IA and AI unions to arrive at a solution, but failed to find a solution.
In fact, in 2007 when AI and IA merged, the then CMD at AI, V Thulasidas had said that the merger is an amalgamation of two cultures and it will take 2-3 years for the Nacil to attain operational integration. However, in the past three years, frequent agitations on delay in salaries is not the only problem that IA has faced in the area of human resources. There are issues between AI and erstwhile IA employees on mismatch in ranks and disparity in wages.
24/03/11 Shaheen Mansuri/Financial Express

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Air India Mar 2011