May 21: CiviL Aviation minister, C M Ibrahim on Wednesday stayed the transfer order issued by the management against the Indian Airlines' union leaders.

During a brief stopover in Mumbai on his way to New Delhi from Kochi, Ibrahim moved swiftly to stall the transfer of the union leaders, who were to be moved out of their bases across the country. Representatives of Indian Airline's executives, pilots, flight engineers, and general employees appealed to the minister that the transfer of union office-bearers would hamper the functioning of these bodies and result in industrial discord in the airline.

According to sources, the immediate provocation was the transfer of S S Gill, regional secretary, Airlines Radio Officers and Flight Operation Officers Association to Ahmedabad from today. Following his meeting with the union leaders, Ibrahim ordered Gill's transfer orders to be kept in abeyance. The minister also reportedly assured the union leaders that he would take up IA's transfer policy with managing director P C Sen and deputy managing director JRD Rao. In a joint representation, the normally divisive unions have accused the management of trying to isolate outspoken union activists by moving them away from their constituents.

According to sources, many of them have made damning statements before various parliamentary committees which have embarrassed IA's top management. Union leaders also fear that IA management is in the process of curbing various privileges granted to employees' representatives. Presently some of the perks allowed to them include permission for some office-bearers to do union work full-time, immunity from transfers, etc.

Senior IA managers however defend the transfers saying that the airline should have the right to allocate personnel depending on its requirements without interference from the unions. As expected, no senior IA official is willing to criticise Ibrahim's decision. Incidentally, the Kelkar committee constituted by the government to look into the restructuring of Air-India and Indian Airlines have blamed the powerful unions in both airlines as a major factor for their financial ill health.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.