Air India Under Tata Witness Its 1st Employee Strike: 1700 Technicians Have Stopped Working Due To Salary Issues

After acquiring the national carrier, Tata Group-owned Air India seems to be in the midst of its first labor stir.

Aircraft Maintenance Technicians On Strike

Recently privatized carrier Air India is currently in the midst of its first labor-strife.

On Tuesday, over 1,700 aircraft maintenance technicians working with a government-owned engineering company that handles maintenance and repair jobs for the airline went on an indefinite ‘tools down agitation’. 

Basically they are demanding for salary revision, employment contract renewal, and inclusion of dearness allowance.

Agitation Caused Delay In Flights

This all started at 9am and by the evening, a few AI flights from Delhi, including to Mumbai, Surat and Pune, were delayed because of the agitation, as per the report.

While talking on the subject, the AI spokesperson said there was no effect of the stir and flights were operating normally.

On the other hand, flight status tracking apps showed the three flights were delayed by 30 minutes to two hours without citing the reason for delay.

The source said, “Though aircraft maintenance engineers have stepped in to carry out jobs done by technicians, if the agitation continues, more flights could be hit,”. 

Usually, these technicians handle aircraft fuelling, readying the aircraft for departure, marshaling, and maintenance work for AI. 

These Aircraft maintenance technicians handle for AI are aircraft fuelling, readying the aircraft for departure, marshaling, and maintenance work.

Reportedly, these striking technicians are employed under a ‘fixed term contract’ with Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL).

Where AIESL is a government-owned company, which was formerly the engineering subsidiary of AI.

AIESL Retaliated

In response to this strike, AIESL retaliated by sending termination notices in the evening to a few technicians who were on strike. 

The letter read, “Your services are no longer required by the company and your employment contract stands terminated with immediate effect from March 15, 2022,”.

Please note here that AIESL was not part of Air India’s disinvestment deal by the Center last year.