In the name of turnaround, AI mgt slashing pay: union

A section of Air India employees' union today alleged that the air-carrier's management was slashing their wages in the name of a turnaround plan.

"The entire focus of the management has now narrowed down to slashing employees wages in the name of a turnaround plan," All India Aircraft Engineers Association's General Secretary Y V Raju told reporters here. Air India employees are not responsible for its mounting losses, he said.

Employees have been getting their salaries late for the last three months (June, July and August) and "there was a simmering discontent among the employees about the late-payment of wages", Raju said.

State-owned Air India has over 31,700 employees, 1,500 pilots and 670 engineers and is in deep financial trouble.

The Association alleged that the management has been blaming the employees for the present crisis but "we have no role in the day-to-day functioning or decision-making and framing management policies in running the airline."

"We appeal to the public, who are the actual owners of this company to take up our cause in saving Air India and we want to clear all misconceptions about the employees being responsible for this mess," Raju said.

Uncontrolled and unregulated expansion of Indian aviation without infrastructure has led to over-capacity and adversely affected the industry at large, he alleged.