Union warns of united struggle against Air India sale bid

Air India's largest union ACEU has alleged that the "political" decision to privatise the airline is fraught with "disastrous" consequences and is neither in the interest of the sector nor of the nation. The Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) has also decided to launch a "united struggle" against privatisation bid which has already failed twice in the past, union said in a statement after its meeting held in Hyderabad last week.

Accusing the government of "ignoring" its "logical and reasonable" arguments against the privatisation of Air India and its subsidiaries, the union noted that government had tried to sell the airline but failed to get a buyer. Significantly, six private airlines--Jet Airways, Air Pegasus, Air Odisha, Air Costa, Air Carnival and Zoom Air-- have gone bust in the past five years for various reasons.

"The decision taken at the political level is fraught with disastrous consequences both from the point of view of the civil aviation sector as well in the interest of nation," said the union, adding they fear that the government wants to sell the airline to a private party "for a song". The union has also decided to participate in a nation-wide campaign with other public sector unions..

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