New Delhi: Air India Express has ‘terminated’ 30 cabin crew members after nearly 300 employees called in sick without notice, disrupting flights affecting around 15,000 passengers, according to reports.
Tata Group-owned airline in an emailed statement said that the crew members’ move was a ‘pre-mediated and concerted abstentation from work without any justifiable reason,’ India Today reported.
The statement further said that the mass sick leave called in by employees “violated the Air India Express Limited Employees' Service Rules as are applicable to you".
It is reported that number of job terminations are likely to go up just as 76 flights have been cancelled today.
The statement reportedly said that the crew members informed the Scheduling team of the sick leave at the last moment, adding that at about the same time ‘an overwhelming number of other cabin crew members have also reported sick and not reported for their duties.’
What the company said the ‘concerted abstentation from work’s has led to cancel a ‘large number of flights’ causing ‘tremendous inconvenience to our esteemed passengers’.
The airline made it clear that a terminated crew member will ‘no longer be considered as an employee’, and they will not have access to official mails, adding that ‘you and your dependants shall not be eligible for any employee-related benefits provided by the company.’
The employees have been protesting alleged lack of equality in the treatment of staff, NDTV reported.
Employees reportedly claimed that despite clearing interviews for senior positions they were offered lower job roles, and alleged ‘modifications’ in their pay package.
The company is facing crisis as it is in the middle of a merger with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India).
Meanwhile, the management of the airlines is engaging with the protesting crew to understand their reasons for mass leave and is working to minimize inconvenience to the passengers, NDTV reported citing the company spokesperson.