Mumbai: Over 30,000 employees, including pilots of Air India, have started wearing black bands around their right arm to tell the government and management that they have not been paid their salaries.
Employees from various departments as well as pilots who went on a strike recently and brought flight operations to a standstill, are complaining of the mental stress they and their families are undergoing as they are unable to pay their rents, school and college fees, travel expenses or meet their daily needs.
This time, staff members are assuring the public they will not go on any flash strike but will bring the attention of the authorities through the Save Air India Campaign.
"The Joint Forum of Unions, Association and Guilds of Air India unanimously decided that employees of the airline should start wearing black bands from June 23 onwards to express the difficult times that the work force is going through at the moment," said Samir Phadnis, Chief Operating Officer of Next Level Media Communications that is representing over 11 unions.
Mismanagement
"The aim is to bring the attention of the government and management to this campaign that hopes to expose the mismanagement of the national carrier and non-payment of employees' emoluments.
"We have written to Union Minister of Civil Aviation Vayalar Ravi but have not received any reply."
The airline's total staff strength is around 44,000 across the country "and we expect other unions, around six or seven, to also join this campaign once they see the unity of the Joint Forum," he said.
Employees from various departments as well as pilots who went on a strike recently and brought flight operations to a standstill, are complaining of the mental stress they and their families are undergoing as they are unable to pay their rents, school and college fees, travel expenses or meet their daily needs.
This time, staff members are assuring the public they will not go on any flash strike but will bring the attention of the authorities through the Save Air India Campaign.
"The Joint Forum of Unions, Association and Guilds of Air India unanimously decided that employees of the airline should start wearing black bands from June 23 onwards to express the difficult times that the work force is going through at the moment," said Samir Phadnis, Chief Operating Officer of Next Level Media Communications that is representing over 11 unions.
Mismanagement
"The aim is to bring the attention of the government and management to this campaign that hopes to expose the mismanagement of the national carrier and non-payment of employees' emoluments.
"We have written to Union Minister of Civil Aviation Vayalar Ravi but have not received any reply."
The airline's total staff strength is around 44,000 across the country "and we expect other unions, around six or seven, to also join this campaign once they see the unity of the Joint Forum," he said.
