Whistle-blower Air India trade union leader 'victimised'

Over 150 employees of Air India and its two sister concerns got together here on Thursday to protest the alleged victimisation of one of their trade union leaders and whistle-blower.

L.S. Sibu, officer-apron in the ground-handling department of Air India at Trivandrum Airport and regional secretary of the Aviation Industry Employees Guild, was transferred to Hyderabad early this month. But he is yet to join duty there.

"The only reason that we can attribute to this decision of the management is because Sibu turned a whistle-blower and brought out in the open several issues relating to the manner in which the Air India management has been working," an Air India employee, who took part in the protest, said on the condition of anonymity.

The employees of Air India, Air India Air Transport Services Ltd and Air India Charters Ltd also decided to submit a representation signed by them to the prime minister, civil aviation minister and other top officials requesting them to cancel Sibu's transfer.

One of the issues Sibu raised was the transfer of the lucrative ground handling business carried out by Air India and Air India Air Transport Services Limited at Trivandrum airport to the private joint venture AISATS, the employee said.

Meanwhile, Mumbai-headquartered Aviation Industry Employees Guild's general secretary George Abraham wrote to the top Air India management that Sibu's transfer be set aside since it was malafide in nature and violated existing rules and practices governing transfer of employees.