AIR INDIA EMPLOYEES UNION Vs. AIR INDIA LIMITED

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These petitions are fallout of a merger of Indian Airlines Limited and Air India Limited which was done to make the national carrier more competitive and profitable in the context of open sky policy of the Government of India. This amalgamation gave rise to various issues relating to compensation, harmonization and rationalization of the wages/salaries of the employees coming into amalgamated company from the amalgamating companies. To achieve the above object, an expert committee was appointed to decide and suggest the measures to integrate the employees of the two merged entities including bringing about pay parity between them. The report of the expert committee viz. Justice Dharmadhikari Committee report has been accepted and is being implemented by the merged entity namely Air India Limited. These petitions have been filed challenging the implementation of Justice Dharmadhikari Committee report on various grounds including non observance of the procedure prescribed under the law to bring about any change in service conditions of the employees/workmen of the merged entity viz. Air India Limited.

(2.) Writ Petition No.2699 of 2012 filed by Air India Office Association v/s. Union of India and Writ Petition No.2600 of 2013 by Sohel Masood v/s. Union of India were also a part of the present group of the petitions. However, these two petitions were detagged from this group as they have been filed by the Officers of Air India Limited.

(3.) This group of petitions has been filed by the workmen as defined under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (the I. D. Act) against the Union of India and Air India Limited. Therefore, the two petitions filed by officers would be dealt with separately as different considerations would apply.