Air India Express Union Raises Concerns Over Remuneration, Policies Under Tata Ownership

The Air India Express Employees Union has expressed growing concerns within the company, including remuneration, hiring practices, and the termination of numerous employees. This comes particularly after the airline's acquisition by the Tata Group.

The union expressed concerns about mismanagement at Air India Express in a letter to Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran dated April 26. NDTV Profit has reviewed a copy of the letter.

It lists several issues, but the main ones are as follows:

• Termination: The union has alleged that despite assurances by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, several employees have been terminated after the acquisition.

• Hiring: The union alleged that Air Indian Express employees interviewed for higher ranks were offered lower job positions. Instead, they brought in people from outside with relatively less work experience.

• Remuneration: Essential allowances like HRA, TA, DA and DH, which were a part of employees' compensation prior to the merger, have been removed. This has resulted in significant salary cuts.

• SOPs: The union alleged that the implementation of standard operating procedures has also increased problems and dissatisfaction among the workforce.

After the blowout of flight cancellations, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has also asked for a response from Air Indian Express on cancellations of flights, according to people in the know.

The Ministry has also asked them to resolve issues promptly and ensure that all passengers get facilities as per DGCA norms.