HAL management terms HAL unions stir illegal as employees go

As the HAL unions went on an indefinite strike from Monday pressing various demands, including wage revision, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited management said the agitation was illegal.

"The strike is illegal as conciliatory proceedings are on and against the advice of labour authorities who want the Unions to arrive at amicable solution without resorting to agitational means," the HAL said in a statement.

It added that the HAL unions have shown total disregard to the organisation classified as Defence Establishment under Public Utility Service.

The All India HAL Trade Unions Coordination Committee (AIHALTUCC) had on Sunday announced the indefinite strike after talks with the management ended in failure.

"We are observing strike in all nine units of HAL all over India. More than 10,000 employees here are on strike and as a result work has come to a standstill," the AIHALTUCC chief convener Suryadevara Chandrashekhar told PTI.

The HAL said its offer was reasonable, fair and in conformity with the wage agreements finalised by other Defence PSUs.

"There is no justification and rationale in the demand of the Unions to extend the benefits (fitment benefit and allowances) on par or more than executives, when salary revision of executives was effected from January 1, 2017 after stipulated 10 year period," the HAL said.

The increase in (wages) respect of officers with effect from January 1, 2017 needed to be compared with the base of January 1, 2007, the HAL management added.

In a statement on Sunday, the AIHALTUCC said during the wage revision negotiation meeting, the management had offered 11 per cent fitment benefit and 22 per cent perks for one to 10 Scale and 20 per cent perks for one scale.

The management told the union representatives that final offer will be given by Chairman and Managing Director provided all the nine unions come to an agreement on fitment benefit and perks and withdrew the indefinite strike.

The AIHALTUCC did not accept the management's conditional offer and decided to go on a strike seeking fair and early wage revision settlements.

Employees unions of the city-headquartered HAL served notice at all locations of the defence PSU to go on indefinite stir from October 14 on settlement of wage revision, effective from January 1, 2017.