Air India staff upset over circular to share rooms

New Delhi: In a move that has upset unions and many cabin crew and triggered a fresh controversy, national carrier Air India has issued a circular stipulating that hotel accommodation now for cabin crew who have been recruited from 2017 (last year onwards) “will be on twin sharing basis”. This means that two cabin crew (of the same gender) will have to share a hotel room.

The order also states that “gender sensitivity issues are to be kept in mind while allotting rooms to the Cabin Crew” which obviously mean that a lady cabin crew member can be allotted a room on twin-sharing basis only with another lady cabin crew. It has also been stipulated that cabin crew will be provided hotel rooms in three or four star hotels as far as possible.

The orders by the loss-making national carrier have probably been issued as a cost-cutting measure. But what has rattled many cabin crew is that the order states specifically that these measures “will be gradually extended to all (cabin) crew”.

The circular has been issued by a lady executive director of the airline and mentions that these decisions have been taken by the “competent authority”. The order states, “The above is for immediate compliance and all Executive Directors of the regions are requested to re-visit the Hotel accommodation agreements to ensure the above compliance.”

The order further states, “If any amendment in the agreement with the Hotel is required or communication is to be sent, the same may be done on priority basis.  The Hotel with which agreement is yet to be finalised; the terms may be negotiated accordingly.” It adds that details will be provided “of deployed crew who are appointed in 2017/2018 and roster them to facilitate the above”, adding that “the arrangements will be gradually extended to all crew”.

One protesting cabin crew member  has already shot off a communication to the Air India management, saying the order to share rooms on a twin-sharing basis violates the privacy of individuals, adding that two individuals sharing a room may have different sleep patterns that may disturb the other. The cabin-crew member has also pointed out that habits like snoring too could be irritants, adding that stress and fatigue could increase if there is consequently any disturbance to sleep which in turn could affect alertness on duty.

The fresh controversy comes in the wake of the huge setback to the privatisation process for national carrier Air India wherein no initial bids (Expressions of Interest) were received from bidders for acquisition of stake in Air India on May 31.

The Government had offered 76 percent stake to a potential successful private bidder in the national carrier. But due to the failure of the process on May 31, the Government may do a re-think on how to make the terms of acquisition of stake in the state-run carrier more attractive to a private bidder.