Employees' guild asks Air India for timely, full payment to contract employees

On Saturday, the Aviation Industry Employees' Guild asked Air India for timely and full payment to contract employees as they won't be able to sustain without monthly salaries. The national carrier has already cut the allowances of all employees, except cabin crew, by 10% for the next three months to save money amid the pandemic.

New Delhi: The Aviation Industry Employees' Guild has written to Air India on Saturday to release the salaries of fixed-term contract employees (FTCs) in full and on time as they won't be able to sustain without monthly salaries.

"It is our earnest appeal to take into consideration the fact that these employees will not be able to sustain without monthly salaries," the union said in the letter addressed to Vinod Hejmadi, director (finance) and board member of Air India.

"It is, therefore, requested that the salaries of FTCs be paid in full and on time for which shall be very grateful," the guild said.

The letter stated that there are several FTCs doing ground handling at various airports in India after the lockdown come in to force, many of these employees have gone out of the way to reach the airports to perform their duties to ensure smooth arrival and departure of freighter flights and other charter flights.

"Even after one of their colleagues has tested positive for Coronavirus they have never hesitated to report for duty as and when requested," the letter said.

Air India chief Rajiv Bansal, in a message to the airline employees on Thursday, said Air India had been passing through a critical financial condition much before the COVID-19 onslaught. The crippling effect of the pandemic especially in the aviation sector has further put our finances in a precarious position. Despite this, your airline has left no stone unturned to continue to remain afloat.

The national carrier has already cut the allowances of all employees, except cabin crew, by 10% for the next three months to save money amid the pandemic.

Air India has been operating special cargo and rescue flights amid the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, the airline has operated flights to Israel, Germany and London to carry foreign nationals stranded in the country due to the lockdown, which began on March 25.

Under the government's 'Lifeline Udan' initiative, Air India has also been operating special non-revenue flights to ferry medical equipment and other essential items.