Air India Ltd. faces increasing challenges as aircraft technicians plan a strike later this month, following pilots expressing concerns about their workload and compensation last week.
The technicians at AI Engineering Services Ltd., a state-run maintenance, repair, and overhaul firm, will strike on April 23 due to various issues affecting their “well-being” and “professional growth,” as conveyed in a letter dated April 8 to the chief executive officer by the All India Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Union.
A spokesperson for Air India stated that the situation is under close observation.
The unrest among aviation workers poses a threat to India’s aviation industry growth. Pilots and aircraft engineers play crucial roles in supporting the country’s rapid fleet expansion, especially with large orders placed by airlines like IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa.
The upcoming strike adds to the recent turbulence in India’s aviation industry, marked by numerous flight cancellations last week due to pilots at Vistara calling in sick en masse over fatigue and pay issues. To mitigate further disruptions, Vistara is reducing its daily flight operations.
AI Engineering, primarily serving Air India, faces discontent among its workforce. Staff members are dissatisfied with the lack of career advancement opportunities, having not been promoted in the past seven years. The promised revised pay structure for technicians with at least two years of service has not materialized. Contractual employees, constituting 75% of the workforce, feel discriminated against due to longer notice periods and fewer benefits compared to permanent staff.
A representative for AI Engineering mentioned ongoing discussions with the union to address these concerns. While salaries for all staff, except technicians, have been revised, pending court cases delay the technicians’ pay adjustments. The company aims to revise technicians’ pay post the withdrawal of a court case demanding equal pay for contractual and permanent employees.
Echoing Vistara’s issues, Air India pilots highlighted systemic challenges of being underpaid and overworked across Tata’s aviation ventures.
The aircraft technicians emphasize the importance of resolving these issues to prevent potential disruptions from the impending strike.