Karnataka: HAL employees to go on indefinite strike from Oct 14

All India HAL Trade Unions Co-ordination Committee (ALHALTUCC) has decided to go on indefinite strike from October 14 in support of the demand for fair and early settlement of wage revision of the employees.

In a letter to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) CEO, Hindustan Aeronautics Employees Association's General Secretary, Suryadevara Chandrashekhar stated that the All India HAL Trade Unions Co-ordination Committee (ALHALTUCC) had "no other option and we are forced to go on agitation path, for achieving fair and early wage revision of the employees."

"As there is a wide gap between the demand of the Unions and offer made by the management it is not acceptable to the Unions, since majority of the employees will be at loss if entered into a settlement with the present offer of the management. As the management did not come forward with fair offers to settle the long-pending wage of revision of employees, Unions are left with no option but to go for direct action in support of the demand for Fair and Early Settlement of Wage Revision - 2017," the union stated.

It further claimed that the management at HAL "did not respect the advices of the Defence Ministry and the Conciliation authorities to negotiate and resolve the issue in an amicable way."

"In view of the adamant/arrogant attitude of the management... AIHALTUCC unanimously decided and given a call to go for indefinite strike to achieve the demand to give justice to the employees," the letter read.

"As decided by the AIHALTUCC, we hereby give notice that the employees of HAL, Bangaluru, Design and Helicopter Complex will be on indefinite strike commencing from October 14, 2019 in support of the demand for Fair and Early Settlement of Wage Revision - 2017," it added.

The periodicity of last wage revision elapsed on December 31, 2016. The Unions finalised the Charter Demands and submitted to the management well in advance during December 2016. Unions were urging the management to commence the negotiations on wage revision. Management delayed the negotiations on the plea of yet to receive guidements etc.