The CPM wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, seeking urgent intervention in the ongoing agitation by the workers of Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), alleging labour exploitation and raising concerns over passenger safety.
In a letter dated May 23, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M A Baby said the AIESL workers have been holding sit-ins for the last eight days outside maintenance facilities in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Nagpur against what he described as "brazen anti-worker policies" of the management.
Baby said AIESL, a former Air India subsidiary now functioning as a public sector undertaking (PSU) under the civil aviation ministry, operates major maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities servicing narrow-body and wide-body aircraft, including Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, 747, 777 and 787 used in domestic and international operations.
Referring to a recent emergency landing of an Air India aircraft from Bengaluru at the Delhi airport following a reported engine fire, the Left leader said the incident underlined the critical role of technical personnel and the need to address concerns relating to aircraft maintenance and safety.
The letter alleged that fixed-term employees in AIESL are being paid less than one-third of the salary and benefits received by permanent workers performing similar jobs, despite provisions in the draft model standing orders issued by the government on May 8, stating that fixed-term workers should receive wages and allowances comparable to permanent employees doing similar work.
Baby further claimed that engineers and technicians maintaining aircraft safety are being compelled to work 12 to 14 hours a day, while receiving overtime compensation at rates as low as Rs 85 per hour, which he said violates recently-notified labour code provisions mandating overtime payment at double the ordinary wage rate.
The CPM also accused the management of intimidation and victimisation of workers. The letter said four union representatives were served termination notices after raising issues related to equal pay, working conditions and overtime compensation, and claimed that the ongoing protest is partly directed against these dismissals.
The party additionally alleged that the AIESL management has failed to implement directives issued by the deputy chief labour commissioner (central), Nagpur, regarding the industrial dispute.
Seeking the prime minister's intervention, Baby said the matter involves both the "legitimate demands" of workers and the "larger issue of safety of air passengers."
