Air India Privatization on the anvil
Air India Chairman Ashwani Lohani asked his people to be
ready for the new work culture in a private set up. As it is in media with privatization
on the anvil, Air India chairman Ashwani Lohani on Tuesday told its employees
to be ready for a complete change in work culture and that merit will get a
"better deal". He also gave the reason for the government decision to
sell off AI — the Maharaja's inability to service his accumulated debt burden
of Rs 50,000 crore.
"This huge debt has accumulated due to continuous
losses over the years. You would, however, appreciate that unless a solution is
found to this huge debt, survival in the long run is almost impossible and the
proposal to consider disinvestment is a step in this direction. It is the firm
conviction of the Government that the process of disinvestment is only meant to
make Air India a much stronger world class airline.... This would indeed be a
win-win solution for employees," Lohani wrote in a letter to employees.
He said "These are changing times and any change,
despite being inevitable, is always hard to accept. Ownership changes that we
expect at Air India would also lead to a change in the working environment and
the work culture. The complexities of working in a PSU environment would get
replaced by a corporate culture, a culture in which merit would get a better
deal."
"This should enable a full realization of the inherent
potential of your airline besides creating an environment that would indeed be
conducive for all of us who are used to working hard with commitment and
integrity. The wonderful team of Air Indians, especially the licensed personnel
(which include pilots, aircraft engineers and cabin crew) should therefore have
nothing to be skeptical about," Lohani wrote.
The chairman tried to allay employees' fears sparked by
government move to privatize AI by telling them that their "genuine and
valid" interests would be safeguarded. He also complemented them for the
airline's expanded network and improved services.
"While it is true that the merger has led to
operational difficulties, yet we remain confident of solving the genuine
grievances of the employees, an effort that has met with success though on a
limited scale," he said while exhorting staff to continue working hard to
increase AI's market share.
Courtesy : The Times Of India
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