AI staff demand suspension of crew members be revoked

A large number of Air India employees, including cabin crew, ground handling staff and loaders, on Tuesday staged a demonstration at the airport here to press for their demands, including revocation of suspension of some cabin crew members.

Flight operations were not affected at all, an Air India spokesperson said, as the protestors, under the banner of unions affliated to Shiv Sena's Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, gathered at the domestic airport and staged a noisy demonstration.

Their demands also included withdrawal of show-cause notices to about 40 cabin crew members and hiring of more such crew to meet the shortage.

Speakers at the demonstration claimed that about 18 cabin crew had been suspended without the management giving them any notice or conducting an enquiry

and demanded that they be taken back immediately.

They also demanded withdrawal of the airline's decision to cancel the leaves of its personnel during the busy season of November-December.

The protestors included both permanent employees and those on contract.

Later, leaders of the Kamgar Sena were called for a meeting with the management of Air India's western region.

This is the second round of meeting the union leaders had with the management since Saturday.

The airline spokesman said all domestic and International flight of Air India from Mumbai were operating as per schedule.

He said a Mumbai court on Monday restrained the union from holding any kind of morcha or protest march or rally or illegal assembly within 500 meters of its operating locations and offices.

However, the protestors continued their demonstration till the afternoon.