Air India Express has laid off at least 30 cabin crew, a day after nearly 300 airline employees called in sick and switched off their phones, leading to widespread flight disruptions. Layoffs are likely to increase and management is likely to hold a town hall meeting with cabin crew members today. A total of 76 flights were affected today; this number includes cancellations and flights that may be operated by other airlines in the group.
The low-cost carrier is a subsidiary of Air India and is now owned by the Tata group. The employees have protested against the new employment conditions, sources said. According to the sources, the crew claims that there is a lack of equality in the treatment of the staff. They have alleged that some staff members were given lower positions despite being given interviews for higher positions, the sources said. The crew also announced some changes to their compensation package. These developments come as the airline is in the midst of a merger with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India).
The Air India Express crisis is a new problem for the Tata group, barely a month after full-service airline Vistara witnessed disruptions due to protests by pilots over changes in their pay packages.
An Air India Express spokesperson yesterday said the management is in discussions with the crew to understand the reasons behind the mass departure and added that they are working to minimize inconvenience to the fliers.
The dismissal letter to the 25 crew members states that the mass leave “clearly points to a premeditated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason.”
“As a result of the above, a large number of flights had to be canceled, disrupting the entire schedule, causing immense inconvenience to the company's valued passengers. Your act is not only undermining the public interest, but has also caused shame and serious harm. reputational damage and serious financial losses for the company.
Your reporting of illness for work amounts to a joint action with a common understanding to not operate the flight and disrupt the Company's services. This is not only contrary to applicable laws but also contrary to the Air India Express Limited Employees' Service Rules applicable to you,” the letter added.
The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), an organization claiming to represent the crew members, has written a letter to the management highlighting “a clear deviation from the obligations”. The union accuses the airline of mismanagement and unequal treatment of staff. However, Air India Express sources have said that it does not recognize any employee union.
Meanwhile, the regional labor commissioner has spoken out and said the staff's grievances were genuine. In a May 3 email to Air India chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran and others – a copy of which is with NDTV – New Delhi's regional labor commissioner Ashok Perumalla pointed to “blatant violations of labor laws”.
Stating that the Union's concerns are genuine, Mr. Perumulla wrote: “The management of Air India Express did not send any responsible decision-maker to any of the conciliation processes. Mismanagement and blatant violations of labor laws were evident.”
The official continued without any words: “The HR department tried to mislead the conciliation officer with the wrong information and an idiotic interpretation of legal provisions.”
To maintain “harmonious industrial relations”, Mr. Perumulla has proposed that Air India Express should set up a high-level committee to look into the employee grievances and the functioning of the HR department. He has also called for corrective action.