HAL Needs Solid Restructuring And Modernization Without Further Delay
The employees of HAL have been protesting what they term “unfair compensation.” As reported earlier in the Press, the union claims that the management has been unfair in considering wage revisions for them. The employees also claim that there has been a delay in implementing the wage revision, while revisions for the executives have been implemented.
Employees of defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), who have been protesting through a relay hunger strike are unhappy with the negotiations held so far prompting the Union representing them to now serve a “strike notice” to the management.
The notice reads: “…In spite of the series of letters written to the CMD (chairman and managing director) explaining the facts and justifying the demands of the unions with live examples and also the parallel relay hunger strike across the country, instead of taking initiatives to settle the wage revision in a fair manner, the management chose to just replying with the same contentions which are not correct in reality.”
This, the All India HAL Trade Unions (AIHALTU) says, has left the union with no choice but to “take the path of agitation.” According to the strike notice, the employees across all centres of HAL will go on strike for one day “on July 18, or any day thereafter.”
Suryadevara Chandrashekhar, general secretary of the Union stated : “Although the CMD said that the management will negotiate, nothing concrete has happened. If they are unwilling to resolve the issue even as we sit on hunger protests, we will stop work. This notice is to inform the management that work will be boycotted on one day.” In case Management takes no action then there may be total boycott later on.
HAL management has already said: “It is regrettable that All India HAL Trade Unions Coordination Committee has resorted to the agitation regarding their pending wage revision. Most of their contention is untenable. The claim of the Unions that HAL Management is deliberately delaying wage settlement and that offers given to them are meagre, is not true…”
The Central Government must take action to streamline HAL both the Management Cadre and the Work Force. The sole aim of HAL is to serve the Armed Forces in particular and the Nation in general. HAL cannot be permitted to hold the Forces and the Nation at ransom.
