Question : Contractual Employees of Air India

(a) the number of technical and non-technical contractual employees working in Air India as on date;

(b) the criteria fixed by the Government in fixing the salaries of these contractual workers along with the number of facilities including medical facilities extended to contractual workers;

(c) whether some of the retired employees who have been appointed on contractual basis have been terminated after the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the steps taken by the Government to safeguard the interest of these contractual employees?

The Minister of State (IC) in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
(Shri Hardeep Singh Puri)

(a): As on 01.08.2020, there are 539 Pilots and 3647 other non-technical employees on Fixed Term Contracts in Air India Limited.;;

(b): Salaries in respect of contractual employees are market driven and as per Industry norms/standards. Salaries of contractual employees are more than what has been prescribed in the Minimum Wages Act. Fixed Term Contractual Employees in Air India Limited are eligible for facilities which include Gratuity, Provident Fund, Medical Facilities for self, Leave, Uniform (wherever applicable), Transport, Canteen facilities etc.;;

(c): Due to the outbreak of COVID 19, extraordinary circumstances have reduced the commercial operations of the Company resulting in to redundancy of manpower. Hence, Post Retirement Contracts in respect of 61 Pilots and 93 other category of employees have been discontinued.;;

(d): All these employees were engaged on Post Retirement Contracts after attaining the age of superannuation, i.e. 58 years. All interests of these retired personnel were duly safeguarded at the time of their superannuation, as per policy of the Company.