Air India Employees Hold Their First Protest Against Airline’s Sale!

Last week, eight employee unions of Air India had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising the issue about disinvestment of the national airline and to look into an alternative plan to revive it. The letter also contained the concerns of the unions, about the possibility of the loss of jobs due to this disinvestment.

Building on that, a group of Air India employees held a meeting yesterday, at Air India’s Kalina office, to protest the sale of the airline. In this protest which lasted half an hour,the union told its staff member present at the office about the disadvantages of privatisation and the impact it will have on the jobs of the employees.

This was the first time that the Air India Forum had protested against the government’s decision to sell the 76% stake in Air India. There were Nine trade unions which took part in the protest meeting held during the lunch hour. Here are the Nine unions that are part of the Air India Forum –

• Air Corporation Employees Union
• All India Service Engineers Association
• Air India Employees Union
• Aviation Industry Employee Guild
• Air India Aircraft Engineers Association
• All India Aircraft Engineers Association
• Air India Engineers Association
• United Air India Officers Association
• Aviation Industry Employees Guild

Together, the above-mentioned unions represent 10000 Air India employees.

The members of the union are protesting against this disinvestment because they feel that the airline is making operating profits and the government is selling the airline at the wrong time.They also feel that the airline is on its way to improve the financial conditions and operational capabilities. The airline has been consistent and is improving its overall performance. The airline has doubled its operating profit by earning Rs 298.03 crore in the 2016-17 financial year.

On March 28, the ministry came out with the preliminary information memorandum on Air India’s strategic disinvestment. The government plans to sell 76 percent stake in the national carrier and transfer the control over the management of it.

The proposed transaction would involve Air India, Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd, which is a joint venture between Air India and Singapore-based SATS Ltd.