Air India employees to stall privatisation by NCLT, strike

AI STOPS GIVING TICKETS ON CREDIT TO GOVT DEFAULTERS

Fed up with the uncertainty over their own future tagged with the fate of Air India, airline employees are in the process to deciding to either take the NCLT route to recover their dues or declare a general strike to put pressure on the government from privatising the national carrier.

The two options were arrived after all the recognised AI unions and other employee bodies met in Mumbai.

However, a final course of action will be decided after further discussion and is expected soon.

If the strike option is chosen, then it will be initiated from January 8, 2020. The decision to consider either the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) route or the strike comes days after the airline's pilots and engineers demanded immediate payment of their dues.

"We all met today and have decided that the privatisation exercise should cease immediately and some clarity be provided first," a senior said.

"The country can not afford to loose the national carrier which provides affordable travel options to passengers. It is also an engine of economic growth during the time of slowdown." Also, the disinvestment department is likely to issue the expression of interest ((EoI) for the debtridden Air India after the winter holiday season which will ensure greater participation by foreign buyers.

"Tentatively the EoI could be any time after January 10", said a source. While the government is keen to sell off the loss-making state-owned carrier Air India, attempts to showcase it as an attractive proposition to buyers have not been successful.

NEW DELHI: Cash-strapped Air India has commenced an initiative to recover pending dues from other government departments.

Under the initiative which was commenced last month, the airline identified government departments which owed it more than Rs 10 lakh in dues for tickets availed for official travel. The airline has also stopped issuing tickets to these departments, except for some such as the AAI and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The airline has sought immediate repayment of dues, and until then no tickets will be issued on credit to the officials of these departments.

"No credit will be provided to some government departments for booking Air India tickets till the time these departments do not clear their dues," senior said.