Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary M. A. Baby has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging immediate intervention in the ongoing labour dispute involving employees of Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), while warning that the unrest could have implications for passenger safety.
In a letter released by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday, Baby said workers at AIESL’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Nagpur have been holding a sit-in protest for the past eight days against what he described as “brazen anti-worker policies” by the management.
Highlighting the critical role played by AIESL employees, Baby said the company operates key MRO centres servicing both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft used in domestic and international operations. He stressed that thousands of passengers rely daily on the expertise of these workers to ensure safe flight operations.
The CPI(M) leader linked the agitation to wider concerns about aviation safety, referring to a recent incident in which an Air India flight from Bengaluru made an emergency landing at Delhi’s IGI Airport after a suspected engine fire.
“In an alarming development, an Air India aircraft from Bengaluru (AI 2802) had to undertake an emergency landing at IGI Airport in Delhi following suspicion of fire in one of the engines yesterday,” the letter stated, adding that several airlines depend on AIESL facilities for aircraft maintenance.
The letter also mentioned that Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas had separately written to the Civil Aviation Minister seeking urgent action on air safety concerns.
Raising the workers’ grievances, Baby alleged that fixed-term employees at AIESL — including engineers and helpers — are paid significantly less than permanent staff despite performing similar duties. Referring to the Union government’s draft model standing orders issued on May 8, 2026, he said the rules mandate equal wages and benefits for fixed-term workers engaged in comparable work.
“The workers in AIESL — from engineers to helpers recruited under fixed-term employment — are being paid less than one-third of the salary and benefits of their regular counterparts,” he alleged.
Baby further claimed that engineers and technicians responsible for aircraft maintenance are routinely required to work 12 to 14 hours a day while receiving overtime pay of only around Rs 85 per hour, calling it a violation of newly notified labour code provisions.
Accusing the management of intimidation, he said four union representatives were served termination notices after meeting management to discuss demands such as equal pay, regularisation and improved working conditions.
“The ongoing mass sit-in is precisely against this vindictive dismissal and for the settlement of their justified demands,” he wrote.
Baby also alleged that the AIESL management had failed to comply with directives issued by the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Nagpur, regarding the industrial dispute. According to the letter, the labour authority had warned that terminating worker representatives could worsen tensions and advised management against rejecting resignations in violation of employment terms.
Baby further urged the Prime Minister’s Office to step in immediately, citing both workers’ rights and passenger safety concerns.
“In conclusion, I would request your office to immediately intervene in this matter considering both the legitimate demands of the workers as well as the larger issue of safety of air passengers,” he said.
CPM flags air safety risks amid AIESL workers’ protest, seeks PM’s intervention
Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary M A Baby