The government cannot force us to move out: Air India employees

Air India's (AI) employees currently residing in the airline's former colonies in Delhi and Mumbai have said that the government's move asking AI to cut their salaries in order to force them to move out was completely unlawful.

"The matter is sub-judice. The next hearing is expected on January 6. The government cannot force us to move out," an employee residing in the former Air India colony at Mumbai’s Kalina, told Moneycontrol.

AI employees have requested the management not to go-ahead with the government's proposal.

Another employee residing in a former AI colony said that only 30 percent of the people living in those colonies work with Air India, the rest work with Air India Airport Services and Air India Air Transport Services.

"Reports have come out saying that salaries of AI employees will be cut. We will wait to see if the salaries of the other employees are also cut," he said.
Sukhjit Singh, a resident of the Vasant Vihar colony said the colony was not maintained properly.

"We don't have water supply, there is no maintenance, there is inadequate security in the society. We are spending our own money for maintenance," he added.

The employees of Air India still residing at the airline's former colonies mainly comprise cabin crew, engineers, ground handling staff, and airport staff. Most of the pilots working with the airline have moved out.

The employees living in the Kalina colony also said that they had requested the government for 5 acres of land in or around Mumbai. Once they get that, they will build a colony there and move out in the next two-three years.

Per a report in the Economic Times, for those overstaying at the New Delhi’s Vasant Vihar colony even after being told to vacate by July 26, 2022, the union government has directed the Tata-led Air India management to deduct up to Rs 95,000 from their salaries with effect from October.

A person aware of the development told ET that the salaries would be deducted per government direction from this month. "Many employees will not have any salary after this," said an AI staffer residing in the Vasant Vihar colony.

Air India has two major housing colonies — in Delhi and in Mumbai. About 2,000 AI employees were told to vacate their official accommodations in these cities by July 26, six months after AI's divestment. Additionally, they have threatened with penalties running into lakhs.

The Air Corporation Employees Union, the Aviation Industry Employees Guild, and the All-India Service Engineers Association had gone on strike in November last year protesting against the eviction of the staffers. The issue is now pending before the Bombay High Court (HC).

The Bombay High Court had granted the AI employees relief from dispossession till October 28, and had asked the government to take a 'fresh decision' regarding the referral of the on-going dispute to the Industrial Tribunal.

"The very fact that the union government has reached only a prima facie decision leaves room for doubt as to whether there are material facts which the union government has not considered, because of which it has restrained itself from expressing a final and conclusive decision," the court stated in October.

"Beyond 28th October 2022, action may be taken in accordance with law against those employees who fail to vacate the accommodation provided to them," the court had said.

In October 2021, prior to the completion of Air India’s privatisation process, the airline had sought an undertaking from 1,600 employees residing in their quarters in Mumbai and Delhi that they would vacate the premises within six months of Air India being privatised.

As part of its deal to sell AI to the Tata group, the union government had retained the non-core assets of Air India, such as housing colonies, and the Air India buildings in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Last year, the government had announced that it would look to monetise the four subsidiaries and the non-core assets of Air India after the airline’s privatisation was complete. The privatisation process was completed by January-end, thereby giving AI employees till the end of July to vacate their quarters.