The All India Cabin Crew Association has termed Air India’s room-sharing policy for a section of cabin crew members as illegal. The association has requested the Labor Ministry to intervene and stop this matter. The association is demanding these rights, hotel accommodation and accommodation conditions in line with the accommodation policy for pilots as per previous agreements and tribunal decisions.
This rule will be applicable from December 1
The association has also written a letter to Air India chief Campbell Wilson, urging him not to violate the existing status quo and respect the sanctity of the Industrial Tribunal and the pending industrial dispute on this issue. Let us tell you that Air India is going to implement the new rule from December 1. Under that new policy, members will be required to share rooms during the layover. Cabin officers and those operating ultra-long-haul flights will be exempted from room sharing ahead of the November 11 merger with Vistara.
According to internal communication, cabin crew members on ultra-long-haul flights will get single rooms during layovers and also during unscheduled layovers in the event of flight diversion. Typically ultra-long-haul flights are those with a duration of 16 hours or more. Let us tell you that layover means a short stop at some place which you do when you are on a long journey to go somewhere else.
Air India operates such flights to North America. According to the new rule of the company, cabin officers who are senior members with about 8 years of flying experience will also get single rooms during layovers. Air India and Vistara together will have around 25,000 employees. Of these, approximately 12,000 will be cabin crew members.
This union is 50 years old
AICCA (All India Cabin Crew Association) is a 50 year old registered trade union which now has cabin crew members of Indian and foreign airlines all over India. The association said that our attention has been drawn to the notice issued by Air India on its bulletin board, inter alia, regarding service of cabin crew during the pendency of an industrial dispute in the National Industrial Tribunal and the same matter. There is a proposal to make unilateral changes in the conditions, forcing them to share rooms during overnight stays, which will be effective from December 1.
What is the association’s allegation?
The association said that AICCA has already written to the CEO of Air India on this matter, as well as to CLC to put a stop to this illegal action and immediately initiate proceedings under Section 33 during the pendency of the proceedings on the same matter. Assistance requested. Air India declined to comment on the issue. According to the association, in 2018, an attempt was made to take a similar step by the then Air India management and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which was opposed by AICCA on legal, ethical and moral grounds.
The association also alleged that Air India’s policy on room sharing violates every major regulatory body in the world, including US and European aviation safety regulatory bodies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). -Includes latest Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) issued by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
