Air India rolls out Leave Without Pay scheme amid downsizing effort; Details here

The coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent crash in air travel for months have made the civil aviation sector reeling under stress. Already in the red with mounting losses, pre-COVID, state-run carrier Air India is now going for a massive downsizing in staff.

The company's management will now assess its employees on different parameters like performance, past records, and redundancy and accordingly, send them on a minimum of six months to two years of Leave Without Pay (LWP) which can be extended up to five years. The Board of Directors in its 102nd meeting held on July 7 has approved a Scheme whereby employees can themselves opt to take LWP under similar conditions.

The national carrier had last month announced a 'shorter working week scheme' for its permanent employees under which staff, excluding the pilots and cabin crew members, can opt to work for three days a week at 60% salary

Seven factors

A circular issued by Air India dated July 14 and accessed by Republic World says the Scheme also authorizes Chief Managing Director (CMD) to pass an order on behalf and in the name of the Company whereby an employee would be sent on leave for six months or for a period of two years extendable up to five years, depending upon the following factors — Suitability; Efficiency; Competence; Quality of performance; Health of the employee; Instance of non-availability of the employee for duty in the past, as a result of ill health or otherwise; Redundancy.

To streamline the process of identification of redundant manpower for LWP, the circular says Regional Directors will constitute a committee comprising of General Manager (Personnel), General Manager (Finance) and concerned Departmental Head, which would go through the records, based on the above factors and will recommend the individuals whose names will be forwarded to company headquarters on or before August 15, 2020, with due recommendations of Regional Director for obtaining approval of CMD, for compulsory leave. 

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Conditions for employees

The circular also said that leave under a voluntary basis can be availed of for personal reasons and the LWP scheme shall be applicable to permanent employees. No employee availing of the Scheme will be permitted to take up jobs in government/other Public Sector Undertakings.

"During the period of LWP, the employees shall not be entitled to any pay, dearness allowances, other allowances, benefits, and perquisites. Further such employees shall also not be eligible for benefits such as all types of leave, pension, gratuity, provident fund, increment, etc. and also promotion opportunities avenues as may arise with reference to their Seniority in the post from which they had proceeded on leave. They shall also lose seniority in the higher grade/grades with reference to their juniors who might get promoted to such grade/ grades before they rejoin duties," the circular said

It further stated, "Employees availing of leave under this Scheme will be eligible to be considered for promotion, only after completion of one year of service on return from leave under the Scheme. ln their case, the last available Appraisal Report will be considered for promotion."

(PTI Photo)

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