Air India-Union talks tomorrow on cabin-crew shortage

In a bid to avert the proposed strike called by a section of its employees on March 19, the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL) management has convened a meeting with representatives of the Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) here tomorrow.

ACEU, the employees union of the erstwhile Indian Airlines in a letter to the management on March 4 had said it has directed over 800 of its non-executive cabin-crew (affiliated to the union) not to report to work on March 19 to protest the shortage of cabin-crew in the national carrier.

"The management has called a meeting with our representatives on March 17 to discuss our demand," ACEU's Regional Secretary, Vivek Rao, said here today.

The union was hopeful of a positive solution from the talks, Rao said. NACIL is the holding company formed after the merger of erstwhile Indian Airlines and Air India into one single entity.

ACEU said despite several representations to the management on the issue of staff-shortage, there had been no response and hence it had to resort to this industrial action.

"We have been forced to call for such an action. We are facing a shortage of manpower on-board aircraft but despite our repeated representations to the management to fill up vacancies, it has not paid any attention to the issue," ACEU's General Secretary, Dinakar Shetty, said.

According to him, there is a shortage of around 200-300 cabin crew in NACIL (I), affecting flight operations.