India's national airline guilty of violating the rights and dignity of workers

Nearly 700 contract workers of the Indian Airlines Ltd.-Airport Services Ltd. (IAL-ASL), handling the security, commercial and ground support work of Air India in the Northern Zone, have been on indefinite strike since June1, 2009 demanding better wages and working conditions. Organised under the IAL-ASL Employees Union, they assembled at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, on June 1 and staged a march from Air India GSD building to the Departure Hall of Terminal II, to mark their protest against the blatantly unjust and high-handed attitude of the management. Staff of IAL-ASL from Amritsar, Jaipur and other parts of the country also joined the demonstration. They held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on June 5 to highlight their demands. They have also handed a charter of their demands to the Civil Aviation Minister. Meanwhile, the management is reported to have terminated the contract of 41 striking employees.

People's Voice correspondent spoke to the president of the IAL-ASL Employees Union, Shri Jeet Singh, about the conditions of the striking workers, their demands, the stand taken by the management as well as the continuing struggle. Below we reproduce excerpts of the interview.

People's Voice Sir, could you please tell us about the service conditions of the striking employees?

JS: We perform security, commercial and ground support duties at the IGI Airport T-II, Delhi and other airports in various cities in India. (In Mumbai airport these operations are carried out by a separate contract agency also under NACIL). We were recruited on contract by Indian Airlines Ltd.-Airport Services Ltd. (IAL-ASL), a wholly owned subsidiary of NACIL (National Aviation Company of India Ltd.) formed by the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines. Our personnel have been working at IGI Airport and other airports in India since 2004, on fixed term contractual basis, which is extendable. We have been performing various important and highly sensitive VIP and VVIP duties for national and international flights and are also required to perform services for foreign air operators (under the single agency concept). We handle cargo and courier services as well. Many of us often have to work round-the-clock. However, we receive a meagre salary of only Rs. 5500 (for those with basic initial training) and Rs.9030 (for more highly trained staff) per month. We have no medical allowance, no annual increment, no P.F. deduction, no bonus and no free flight passes. We are not even given salary slips or I-card of the company.

Our workers are regularly harassed and humiliated for the slightest mistake and the threat of termination permanently hangs over our heads. Despite various promises by the employer when we were hired 4-5 years ago, our wages have never been revised since, and the strenuous working conditions have adversely affected the health of many of the employees, rendering them ineligible for other jobs.

PV: What are the qualifications of the employees and how were they hired?

JS: The employees are all graduates/post graduates and various diploma holders of N.C.C. background, as well as experienced Ex-servicemen from the Defence Services (SNCOs and above). They were required to clear the AVSEC exam and the X ray Screening exam of IATA, conducted by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, before being hired. So your can imagine our frustration that inspite of being highly qualified and trained personnel, handling very sensitive work, we are forced to work like bonded labourers!

PV: How have you been waging your struggle so far and what is the response of the management?

JS: Although our workers have been performing their duties with full dedication, earning huge profits in dollars for Air India, the management has given no response to our entirely just demand for wage revision and for our rights as workers. So we formed the IAL-ASL Employees Union and sent notices of our demands to the higher authorities through proper channels, but they too turned a deaf ear.

From May 20, our members have been wearing black ribbons on their shoulders as a mark of protest. Fearing our unity and determination, on May 25 the management suspended 21 activists of our union, including me. We had given notice that on June 1 we will be holding a peaceful demonstration at the IGI Airport. In an attempt to thwart our protest action and intimidate the workers, on May 31 itself, the management tried to take away the entry passes of the workers and started issuing threats that more workers would be terminated if we persisted with our action. But we remained united and carried out our protest demonstration on June 1, from Air India GSD building to the Departure Hall of Terminal II. We also held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on June 5. We have submitted a charter of our demands to the Civil Aviation Minister, Shri Praful Patel. In Amritsar, 5 of our members are on hunger strike. After the strike began, the management terminated the services of 21 more employees.

Meanwhile, we have had several rounds of discussion with the Chief Labour Commissioner. The management is trying to prolong our anguish by sending to these talks representatives who are not authorised or empowered to take any decisions. The latest stand of the management, according to the discussion held on June 10, is that the 21 union activists suspended initially will not be taken back, but the others may all report for duty with effect from June 12. The Chairman of IAL-ASL is scheduled to meet the Chief Labour Commissioner on June 17, where we shall press for the re-instatement of the 21 suspended union activists as well as for consideration of our long pending demands.

PV: We strongly condemn the attitude of the management and the authorities. It is indeed shocking that employees handling such sensitive operations for the country's national airline are forced to work on contract in such humiliating and inhuman conditions. We extend our full support to your struggle and wish you success.