More than 100 Air India Express flights were cancelled on Wednesday due to the absence of over 200 cabin crew members who called in sick in protest at the airline’s alleged mismanagement under the TATA group. Air India Express terminated 30 cabin crew workers who had phoned in sick to protest the company’s management standards.
Employees have reportedly been protesting the recently implemented employment terms. Allegations have surfaced about the unfair treatment meted out to them, with accusations that certain individuals who successfully interviewed for high positions were instead granted lower-level employment.
According to ET, the merger of Air India Express and AirAsia India resulted in a roughly 20% drop in crew member compensation. KK Vijaykumar, president of the Air India Express Employees Union, which represents approximately 300 crew members, told ET that various allowances previously included in employees’ compensation packages were eliminated following the merger, resulting in a significant decrease in their overall earnings.
Before the merger, Air India Express flew primarily to Middle Eastern nations, and its personnel earned a variety of benefits. However, as a result of the merger, the crew is now compelled to fly domestically as well, which has resulted in the elimination of some privileges. For example, the allowance which was formerly given to crew members for overnight stays in foreign countries is no longer being paid.
Repercussions happened on Wednesday with the termination of 30 employees. In a statement to its employees, the Tata-owned airline indicated that the collective sick leave taken by multiple crew members was a premeditated and coordinated refusal to work. The termination notification emphasised that such activities breached the provisions of their employment agreements, resulting in their immediate termination.
According to sources, the Tata Group-owned airline has also given a severe ultimatum to the remaining cabin staff members who phoned in ill, asking them to return to duty by 4 p.m. on Thursday or risk firing. Furthermore, Air India Express has been forced to postpone at least 60 flights scheduled for Thursday due to a lack of cabin crew. Sources further stated that the widespread absence of a section of the cabin crew has created major discomfort for passengers. According to a recent announcement, Air India would run 20 flights along the Express routes to help help disruptions.
Over 80 Air India Express flights were unexpectedly cancelled owing to an unexpected cabin crew strike, leaving many customers stranded. A spokesperson of the Tata Group-owned airline told impacted passengers that they would have the choice of obtaining a full refund or rescheduling their flights for free. Simultaneously, the airline has contacted customers whose flights have been cancelled, giving them a link to speed up the refund procedure.
Despite some passengers encountering challenges with the link’s performance at the moment, it is expected to be active shortly. Passengers affected by the cancellations can instead go to the carrier’s website and request a refund through the ‘Manage Booking’ option.
