Demanding a thorough probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC),Shiv Sena-backed trade unions in the National Aviation Company on Wednesday sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in Air India affairs. "We demand immediate intervention by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Air India issue. The govt should also appoint a Committee,either a JPC or a Parliamentary Committee to look into the problems that the national air-carrier faces today and fix responsibilityy on those who have brought it to such a pass and suggest corrective measures," Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP and Air India union leader,Bharat Kumar Raut,told PTI here. The Unions which have sought the Prime Minister's intervention are All India Cabin Crew Association,Air India Employees Union,Air India Service Engineers Association,All India Executive Cabin Crew Association and Bharatiya Kamgar Sena-Indian Airlines. The five unions have formed a joint front called the Federation of NACIL Employees (FONE). The government and management's volte face on the issue of wage-cuts is shocking,Raut said,adding,the move was also contrary to Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel's statement last year on the issue. "Patel,on June 10 last year,had assured all employees that there will be no wage cuts and no job losses in Air India. The Joint Secretary,Civil Aviation,R K Singh,in a letter to the employees had also assured the same," Raut said. Terming the Air India management's decision to defer payment of June salary to employees by 15 days and asking senior officials to voluntarily give up their July salaries an unilateral one,Raut said the management should be transparent and accountable to the employees as well. "Shockingly,while the management was talking about delaying salaries to employees,the same management had only 10 days prior paid out arrears totaling Rs 40-crore to senior engineering executives," Raut said. Against this backdrop,some of the management's decisions on aircraft selection and leasing and acquisition should be probed. Similarly,gifting of bilateral rights to foreign air-carriers and the so-called open-sky policy should all be re-looked at by the government,he said. The reckless sale and transfer of Air India and Indian Airlines land assets in Kalina and Sahar (Mumbai) to private developer,Mumbai International Airport Limited,on a platter for construction of 5-star hotels and offices in the name of airport development should also be probed by the Committee,Raut said.
