Mumbai:
The pressure on the Civil Aviation Ministry to demerge Air India and Indian Airlines is mounting. This after a Parliamentary Committee rapped the ministry calling the merger 'a marriage of incompatible parties'. Members of all unions met in Mumbai on Friday and demanded the merger be undone supporting them is not just the Left but also the Congress.
Sitaram Yechuri, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture came out in support of the cause of the unions saying that the government should write off the losses of the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL).
Air India's Unions' demand for splitting the company again is garnering political support.
Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam says, "If the merger is wrong, Air India is ruined, Indian Airlines is ruined, employees have faced hardships then the Civil Aviation Ministry and Minister are responsible."
From pilots to peons, an otherwise deeply divided lot united by their singular demand at a meeting of all the unions.
A merger slammed by the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) as 'a marriage of incompatible parties' has instead of cutting losses caused them to baloon to over 13,000 crore in 3 years.
Losses that the airline is attempting to reduce through a 20% wage cut.
Ironically though the airline has hired a foreign COO, reportedly at a salary of over 2 crore a year.
"His salary will be 10 times of the CMD above him, how can this be allowed?", adds Sitaram Yechuri.
If there was a single villian here then it was the Civil Avaiation Ministry and the minister. The unions are now hoping to garner and consolidate the political support that they have got in what they call "a quest" to save the airline.
Sitaram Yechuri, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture came out in support of the cause of the unions saying that the government should write off the losses of the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL).
Air India's Unions' demand for splitting the company again is garnering political support.
Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam says, "If the merger is wrong, Air India is ruined, Indian Airlines is ruined, employees have faced hardships then the Civil Aviation Ministry and Minister are responsible."
From pilots to peons, an otherwise deeply divided lot united by their singular demand at a meeting of all the unions.
A merger slammed by the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) as 'a marriage of incompatible parties' has instead of cutting losses caused them to baloon to over 13,000 crore in 3 years.
Losses that the airline is attempting to reduce through a 20% wage cut.
Ironically though the airline has hired a foreign COO, reportedly at a salary of over 2 crore a year.
"His salary will be 10 times of the CMD above him, how can this be allowed?", adds Sitaram Yechuri.
If there was a single villian here then it was the Civil Avaiation Ministry and the minister. The unions are now hoping to garner and consolidate the political support that they have got in what they call "a quest" to save the airline.
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