Tata Group takes over Air India, employees demand cash and benefits

Employees of the Air India airline have raised concerns regarding their financial, leave, and health benefits since the Tata Group took over. The Air India Unions have written a joint letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation to express their concerns about cash, leave, medical benefits, accommodation of employees, and other benefits.

According to the employees, Rajiv Bansal should allow the people staying at the company flats to remain there at least for a year before monetization. In order to bring workers’ agreement to an end at least one year ago, the unions requested a year-long extension. The Tata Group assures that all employees will be retained for at least another year.

Additionally, the employees would like to see all permanent employees still be eligible for the post-retirement benefits of health insurance and passage. As part of the basic rights, the Air India Joint Action Forum of Unions has requested that Bansal ensures that all allowances that existed prior to the Covid merger are reinstated. As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic that struck the country in 2020, several of the employee’s allowances were cut.

Moreover, all Air India employees must qualify for gratuitous pay and provident fund (PF), as well as all post-retirement medical benefits. In the meantime, Air India has reached a mutual agreement with the government of India, which will ensure the retention of all current employees for another year. After one year, all employees whose contracts are terminated will have a choice between voluntary retirement or termination.

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In almost a week’s time, Tata Sons was announced as the winner of the bid for Air India airlines. An official with the finance ministry said Tata Sons, the holding company for the autos-to-steel conglomerate, bid Rs 180 billion ($2.40 billion) for the government’s 100% stake in Air India. Air India has returned to Tata Trusts after a 100-year absence. The announcement pictured the former Chairman of Tata Trusts with an old aircraft and the hashtag ‘Welcome back, Air India’.