National carrier keeps its employees waiting for 13 years for dues worth 150 cr

This is one delay that Air India can't live down. Employees of the national carrier claim they have been waiting for unpaid arrears up to the tune of Rs 150 crore for 13 years.


Sudhakar Shenoy, former DGM, Air India

Sunday MiD DAY has copies of the Memorandum of Understanding on wage revision and other letters between claimants and government officials that suggest that nearly 900 technical staff employees (of whom 300 are retired) and 1,000 administration and accounts staff members have not been paid their dues since 1997.

An MOU on wage revision for technical officers/ engineers between Air India management and Air India Engineers Association (AIEA) was finalised in 2007. According to it, technical officers/ engineers in service at the time were paid wage arrears with effect from January 1997, and their salary was revised from September 2007.


A scanned copy of a part of the MOU between Air India
management and Air India Engineers Association

But retired engineers claim they have not been paid a single rupee towards wage arrears. Sudhakar Shenoy, former DGM Air India said, "Retired engineers, who are senior citizens now are being treated in a step-motherly fashion. Air India management should give priority to the payment of wage arrears to them."

Air India's Chief Information Officer Kamaljit Rattan said the top management was in talks with the claimants. "We would like to resolve the issue. One should understand that the carrier is in a phase of transition and hasn't been in good financial health for the last few years, but that does not imply that the problem will not be addressed," he said.

A top official of the Air India management who did not wish to be named stated that a series of top management changes has led to the delay in payment. "Three managing directors have changed in the past few years. The merger of Air India and Indian Airlines to form NACIL (National Aviation Company of India Limited) has delayed the process," he said.