Inflight caterer Sky Gourmet faces labour unrest at Delhi unit

In-flight catering services provider Sky Gourmet is facing labour unrest at its Delhi unit following alleged suspension of around 165 of its employees, including 10 key union functionaries, recently over their demand for wage revision.
The union members, along with other employees, were suspended by the management in early March after they insisted on negotiating a new wage agreement as the previous three-year wage settlement had expired in December last year, sources alleged.
The Delhi unit of the in-flight catering firm employs around 800 employees, including 350 regular workers, the sources claimed.
Sky Gourmet at present supplies in-flight meals to carriers such as Air India, Jet Airways, AirAsia and Oman Air, among others. It has also bagged a contract for supplying meals to the newly-introduced Gatiman Express, the country's fastest train.

"We have been demanding wage revision since last five months as the previous agreement had expired last year. We gave our charter of demands, including a 30 per cent salary hike, to the management in mid-December but till date, it has failed to resolve the issue," the sources said.
They said there was a partial lockout at the unit since March, when about 350 employees were told not to "enter" the company's premises, but 180 of these employees later joined their duties after a threat of "termination" by the management.

"However, 165 employees remain suspended. As the management has failed to pay heed to our demands, seven employees are on a hunger strike since May 20," a source said.

"In the absence of nearly half of its regular employees, the company is compromising the quality (of services) as casual and contract workers are doing the jobs," the source added.
Confirming the development, the company said it is seeking an amicable solution to the issue and said the "protests" have not affected its operations.
It, however, denied that there is any lockout -- declared or undeclared -- at the unit.
"We would like to emphasise that Gategroup believes in consistently delivering quality catering and the quality of the food and our services is assured at all times. We also wish to inform you that there is no lockout -- declared or undeclared -- at our Delhi unit," Commercial Director of the company Rohit Narang said.

On the issue of alleged suspension of regular employees, he said that during the course of discussions, a large number of employees voluntarily resumed work on its own will.
"And we continue to cater to our customers on a regular basis with the assistance of staff from our Delhi and other units," he said.