Indian staff put off mass casual leave plan

NEW DELHI: Employees of state-owned carrier Indian on Thursday put off their plan to go on mass casual leave from Friday for demanding payment of the last ten years’ arrears. The move follows a meeting of the carrier’s management and Air Corporation Employees Union.

Although the meeting remained inconclusive, the two parties would meet again on May 28 to sort out the issues, sources said. There will be no disruptions of flights on Friday, the sources added. Employees’ union sources, however, maintained they would continue their sit-in protests till their demands were met.

The Union has been negotiating with the airline management for the past three months on the issue of releasing the arrears. Employees alleged that neither the senior officials of the airline nor the top brass of the ministry of civil aviation have assured them of the same. Indian employees were angry that while employees of Air India and Pawan Hans have been given their respective dues, they have been denied the benefit.

The Union represents a sizeable number of employees responsible for ground handling operations and manning the assistance counters.