Air India employees on hunger strike over non-payment of salary

New Delhi, Aug 25 (ANI): Employees of India's flagship carrier Air India are on a three-day hunger strike from today over delay in payment of their salaries.

"Over 20,000 members of the Aviation Industry Employees Guild (AIEG) and the Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) and some other unions from across the nation have decided to go on hunger strike from today, as the management is rigid over payment of our salaries," said J B Kadian, general secretary, ACEU.

Last Friday, the meeting of the unions with the Air India CMD in Mumbai failed to reach any conclusion. The next round of meeting is scheduled to be held here this afternoon.

The employees threatened that they would again go on strike on August 31 if their negotiations with the management fail.

Earlier, employees had gone on a two-hour-long protest over non-payment of wages.

The unions had earlier called off their proposed strike on June 30 after the management had agreed to pay the salaries of 70 per cent of workers.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had said the government cannot bail Air India out every time, and it is time for the flagship carrier to tighten its belt and resolve its financial woes.

Air India's borrowings have risen from Rs.6, 550 crore in November 2007 to Rs.15, 241 crore in June this year. (ANI)