KOCHI: Some cabin crew members of the Tatas-owned Air India Express have accused the management of using uncalibrated equipment and under-reporting their height to categorise them at the higher-end of the body mass index (BMI) scale – one of the reasons for grounding.
The legal metrology departmentin Kochi has seized the equipment after it was found to be uncalibrated.Air India Express has moved the HC and secured a stay on further action by the department.
According to the employees, several cabin crew members deemed overweight have lost jobs in recent times. Many of them lodged complaints with the labour ministry and metrology department. The regional labour commissioner issued a show cause notice to the CEO of Air India Express a few days ago.
“When I joined Air India Express around 15 years back, I was 172cm tall. Now, they have taken my measurements again and my height was recorded at 169cm, indicating that I have a high BMI,” said a flight attendant.
Air India Express Employees Union leaders said employees were being terminated and their contract periods reduced to one year from five years after the privatisation of the airline over a year ago.
According to KK Vijayakumar, president of Air India Express Employees Union and national executive member of BMS, although at least 14 employees have lost their jobs, the management did not specify any reason for firing them.
“The contracts of many women were cut short to a year when they resumed duty post-delivery. The management would ask them to reduce their weight at a short notice,” said Vijayakumar.
Asked about the allegations, An Air India Express official told the TOI: “Given the involvement of different aspects in your query, we anticipate that it may take a couple of days to formulate a comprehensive reply.”
An official of the metrology department said efforts were on to get the HC stay vacated and further action would be taken once that is done.
Vijayakumar also said the cabin crew are forced to share rooms with unfamiliar employees. “Before privatisation, each cabin crew member was given a single room. As per norms, uninterrupted sleep for 12 hours is mandatory for cabin crew before flying. If the management intends to cut costs, the cabin crew are ready to stay in three-star hotels in place of the current five-star hotels where they are being accommodated now,” Vijayakumar said.
The legal metrology departmentin Kochi has seized the equipment after it was found to be uncalibrated.Air India Express has moved the HC and secured a stay on further action by the department.
According to the employees, several cabin crew members deemed overweight have lost jobs in recent times. Many of them lodged complaints with the labour ministry and metrology department. The regional labour commissioner issued a show cause notice to the CEO of Air India Express a few days ago.
“When I joined Air India Express around 15 years back, I was 172cm tall. Now, they have taken my measurements again and my height was recorded at 169cm, indicating that I have a high BMI,” said a flight attendant.
Air India Express Employees Union leaders said employees were being terminated and their contract periods reduced to one year from five years after the privatisation of the airline over a year ago.
According to KK Vijayakumar, president of Air India Express Employees Union and national executive member of BMS, although at least 14 employees have lost their jobs, the management did not specify any reason for firing them.
“The contracts of many women were cut short to a year when they resumed duty post-delivery. The management would ask them to reduce their weight at a short notice,” said Vijayakumar.
Asked about the allegations, An Air India Express official told the TOI: “Given the involvement of different aspects in your query, we anticipate that it may take a couple of days to formulate a comprehensive reply.”
An official of the metrology department said efforts were on to get the HC stay vacated and further action would be taken once that is done.
Vijayakumar also said the cabin crew are forced to share rooms with unfamiliar employees. “Before privatisation, each cabin crew member was given a single room. As per norms, uninterrupted sleep for 12 hours is mandatory for cabin crew before flying. If the management intends to cut costs, the cabin crew are ready to stay in three-star hotels in place of the current five-star hotels where they are being accommodated now,” Vijayakumar said.