Air India unions virtually toothless, airline sell-off to be a cakewalk for government

Unions have lost public support since the strike of 2011-12. They have seen their membership shrinking over the years and lack bargaining power.
Air India

TLI Staff

New Delhi: Having lost their power to harm or hamper work and public opinion against them, Air India unions are unlikely to resist government move to privatize Air India.

Moreover, various unions representing different categories of employees are not on the same page and a divided lot.

Over the years, membership of the unions has also shrinked with average age reaching 55.

“Unions run on strength. There is hardly any strength left now. We are the largest union of Air India with 6,000 members. The other problem is various unions do not come on one platform to raise their voice,” rued a member of Air Corporations Employees Union (ACEU).

As the airline has been hiring most of the staff including cabin crew, pilots and engineers on contract basis, the membership of Air India unions have consistently come down with each successive batch of retirement. The service terms of the contractual workers do not allow them to indulge in union related activities.

“There are technical personnel such as aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) and pilots who would be required all the time. Their jobs do not depend on X or Y management. If Air India is closed, they will get jobs with other airlines. So they are least bothered about privatization,” said an airline official.

He pointed out another reason for engineers and pilots not taking interest in union activities.

“The last strike by pilots was dealt very, very firmly. The management had sacked 13 pilots and several cabin crews. So, that fear has been there,” he said.

Airline insiders working at senior level said that with technical personnel remaining indifferent to privatization move, the staff in other departments hardly have any bargaining power. They have resigned to the situation and are of the view that the new management will progressively replace them if they continue post sell-off.

Most of these staff are in the departments of commercial, finance and administration. A good number of employees have developed fatigue too over a period of time and are just waiting for the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) ahead of the privatization.

A large section of the non-executive staff working on the ground had realized in 2011-12 strike that they had no public support.

“They are aware that public perception about them is not good. Government and management can be blamed for the poor state of Air India but employees have their own share too,” said a former aviation ministry official.

The government is in the process of finalising expression of interest (EoI) document for Air India sale. The EoI along with a preliminary information memorandum (PIM) could be out anytime now kicking off the sale of national carrier.

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