Air India Express cabin crew called off their strike on Thursday after the airline agreed to take back 25 staff who were terminated from their jobs, sources close to the development said.
A section of the cabin crew began calling in sick from Tuesday night, complaining of mismanagement in the airline. Over 170 flights were cancelled and thousands of passengers stranded at airports.
After a marathon conciliation meeting between the representatives of the cabin crew and the management of the airline at the Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner Central in the national capital on Thursday, the strike was called off. The nearly five-hour-long meeting was held between the representatives of the Air India Express Employees Union AIXEU, which is affiliated to the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh BMS, and the management of the airline.
After the meeting, All India Secretary of the BMS, Girish Chandra Arya, said the 25 cabin crew members' termination was withdrawn. The two parties will meet again on May 28 to discuss and settle all outstanding issues.
A joint statement signed by the union and airline representatives said all the cabin crew who had called in sick will report to work immediately with fitness certificates. Additionally, as per the appeal of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), the management consented to reinstating the terminated cabin crew members, with their cases to be reviewed in accordance with service regulations.
Assurances were given by the airline's representatives that all issues raised by the cabin crew would be thoroughly examined and resolved.
Earlier in the day, Air India Express cancelled 85 flights, which is about 23% of its total operational capacity, due to a shortage of cabin crew. The airliner was scheduled to operate 283 flights, thereby avoiding disruption, by using the routes of Air India Express that had been curtailed until May 13.
Discontent among the cabin crew had been brewing due to the proposed merger of AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) with Air India Express. Complaints of mismanagement and unequal treatment among staff members had led to a conciliation process under the Industrial Disputes Act, initiated after a union representing a portion of the Air India Express cabin crew filed a complaint with the labour department the previous year.
Among the issues brought up by the striking cabin crew were room sharing, lack of support, revised salary structures, and alleged discrepancies in treatment among the experienced crew members.
As the disruptions continued, Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh addressed the staff to say the airline's leadership was available for discussions as operations had been significantly impacted by a sudden increase in sick leave reports. "Leadership is open to all discussions" on these issues, Singh said.
The Air India Express cabin crew strike came amid challenges facing Tata Group carrier Vistara for pilot shortages, forcing it to temporarily slash flight capacity. Tata Group is in the process of merging Air India Express and AIX Connect with Vistara and Air India in a consolidation of the airline business.
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