A section of Air India pilots, technicians and employees marched to Parliament on Thursday demanding immediate government action to save the cash- strapped national carrier.
The employees, holding Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav responsible for the present condition of the airline, also demanded his removal and regularisation of the payment of their due salary and productivity linked incentive.
"We do not want to go on strike, but the way we (the employees) were being held responsible for the present situation, our patience has ran out, so if we do not get any response from the management we will be forced to go on strike from November 24, as decided," Indian Commerical Pilots' Association president Captain Shailendra Singh said.
Giving an ultimatum to the management, the ICPA, Air Corporation Employees' Union and Indian Airlines Technician's Association and Indian Airlines Officer's Association said if the employees do not get their due salary and PLI by November 24, all 32,000 employees would be forced to go on strike.
Alleging that Air India management was closing all profitable routes, instead of loss making ones, general secretary of ACEU J B Kadian said that 'this is a systematic approach to sabbotage the company and we are being projected as the reason being the current financial situation.'
