AI mops up,union calls new strike from June 12

Indian Commercial Pilots Association general secretary S Sabu was chargesheeted by the management for publicly questioning the flight safety record of Air India in the wake of the Mangalore air crash. An explanation has been sought from him.

Offices of the Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) and All India Aircraft Engineers Association (AIAEA),representing over 13,000 ground handlers,cabin crew and engineers,were sealed by the airline across the country.

The airline said it had derecognised the two unions as they violated an agreement that clearly said “Indian Airlines Corporation is a Public Utility Service operating round the clock everyday and has the duty of serving the travelling public.”

ACEU general secretary J B Kadiyan said another notice for a strike from June 12 had been served by the union. “Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav is running a dictatorship. He is bent on destroying the airline. He is trying to instigate workers into action and then declare a lockout on that pretext,” he alleged.

The ACEU and AIAEA had gone on a flash strike on Tuesday to protest an order forbidding union office-bearers from making public statements that could dent the image of the airline.

Moving swiftly to restore order,Air India is trying to clear the backlog. By evening,90 per cent of scheduled flights were operating though 25 flights were cancelled today. International flights remained unaffected.

The management,AI said,will meet principal officers of all unions in Mumbai next Tuesday. It said wages would be disbursed by June 1.