AI salary issue: CPI, TC take up matter with PM

New Delhi, Aug 2: The CPI and Trinamool Congress today (Aug 2) took up the issue of non-payment of salaries to Air India employees with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said they have been given the assurance that dues for the past two months would be paid in the next three-four days.

CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta, who met the Prime Minister in Parliament House over the issue, said, "In my presence, he called (Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar) Ravi who confirmed that two months wage and four months PLI have been defaulted. And within three to four days, two months salary and one month PLI would be paid".

Dasgupta, who is also the General Secretary of the AITUC, said he told the Prime Minister "it is a matter of national shame that 31,000 workers of the national carrier have not been paid wages for last two months and Productivity Linked Incentives, have been defaulted for four months."

"I have no complaint against you (PM), but that you don't act decisively. Prime Minister should act decisively and not merely as a post office. Let us know what happens. The PM wanted 24 hours from me. So I am going to meet him again at 12'O clock on Wednesday, Aug 3", the CPI leader said.

MPs of the Trinamool Congress, the second largest constituent in the ruling UPA, also drew the government's attention towards the issue, demanding that the salaries should be paid "as quickly as possible".

Trinamool MPs, Kalyan Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, and SUCI's Tarun Mandal said it was a matter of concern that the Air India employees have not got their salaries for last three months.

Dastidar said party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked them to bring the matter to the government's notice by raising it in the House.

"Repeated demands have been made by the employees to the management and the Government. But unfortunately, the Central Government has not paid any heed to the demand of the employees," Banerjee said.

PTI