Air India Express sacks 30 staffers over sick leave

Tata Group-owned Air India Express has "terminated with immediate effect" the services of the 30 cabin crew members who went on mass sick leave without notice, which led to the cancellation of over 100 flights since Tuesday night, affecting around 15,000 passengers. The airline also announced that it would be operating 292 flights today, with Air India operating on 20 of Air India Express routes.

In an ultimatum to the remaining cabin crew members reporting sick, Air India Express asked them to rejoin duty by 4 pm on Thursday or face termination, a news agency quoted sources as saying.

At least 74 flights scheduled for Thursday have been cancelled as a result of the crisis.

The employees have been protesting against the new employment terms. The crew, the sources said, has alleged a lack of equality in the treatment of staff. They have claimed that some staff members have been offered lower job roles despite clearing interviews for senior positions, the sources said. The crew has also flagged some modifications in their compensation package. These developments are taking place even as the airline is in the middle of a merger with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India).

The Air India Express crisis is fresh trouble for the Tata group, barely a month after its full-service carrier Vistara witnessed disruptions due to protests by pilots over a host of issues, including their rostering for flights and changes in their pay packages.

In a statement, Air India Express has said it is making "every possible effort to minimize the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected situation". "We have mobilized all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport. If their flight is cancelled, or delayed beyond 3 hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees on Tia on WhatsApp (+91 6360012345) or on airindiaexpress.com," the statement said.

"While we will continue to engage with our cabin crew colleagues with a commitment to address any concern, we are taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience to thousands of our guests," it added.

Meanwhile, the regional labour commissioner has weighed in and said the staff's grievances were genuine. In a May 3 e-mail to Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran and others-- the Regional Labour Commissioner in New Delhi, Ashok Perumalla, pointed to "blatant violations of labour laws".

Stating that the concerns of the Union are genuine, Mr Perumulla wrote, "The management of Air India Express has not sent any responsible decision-makers to any of the conciliation proceedings. Mismanagement and blatant violations of labour laws were apparent." Mincing no words, the official continued, "The HR department tried to mislead the conciliation officer with the wrong information and an idiotic interpretation of legal provisions."

For maintaining "harmonious industrial relations", Mr. Perumulla has suggested that Air India Express set up a high-level committee to examine the grievances of the employees and the functioning of the HR department. He has also called for corrective measures.