Mumbai: About 11 Air India Unions representing more than 10,000 employees have taken to social media to register their protest against airline’s stake sale plan. Their main worry is the possible job losses post disinvestment.

Text Messages and image graphics with the slogan ‘Save Air India’ are being posted on various social media platforms like Twitter, Youtube etc., People are being incited through WhatsApp messages to raise their voice against the plan of disinvestment of the government-owned nation carrier, according to the union representatives.

The government has put up plans to sell off a big stake in the loss-making Air India. The state-owned company has issued a detailed preliminary information memorandum in which it has put up a proposal to sell a total of 76 percent stake and cede management control to private players.

Even after holding of several discussions at different occasions of time among the government, Air India management and various employees are concerned over the future of staff at the airline as well as the subsidiaries continue to remain.

A joint forum of 11 Air India employees’ unions, which includes those from various subsidiaries are now using social media engagement to put across their concerns to the larger public, policy makers and elected representatives about the stake sale proposal.

Besides the traditional way of protesting like lunch hour meetings and wearing badges, the forum has begun using Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram platforms to reach out to employees across stations and solicit their support, according to a member of the forum.

The employees of the company are being encouraged to write blogs regarding Air India disinvestment as there are concerns regarding possible job losses, the member said.

All the 11 unions which represent over 10,000 employees of Air India group are vehemently opposing the proposal to sell 76 percent government stake in Air India, 100 percent shareholding in Air India Express and the 50 percent stake in equal joint venture AISATS.

The forum consists of Unions viz,  Air Corporations Employees Union, All India Service Engineers’ Associations, Air India Employees Union, Aviation Industry Employee Guild, Air India Aircraft Engineers’ Association, All India Aircraft Engineers’ Association, Air India Engineers Association, United Air India Officers Association, All India Cabin Crew Association, All India Airline Retired Personnel Association and Indian Aircraft Technicians Association.

Pilots’ groupings — Indian Pilots Guild and Indian Commercial Pilots Association — are said to be in support of disinvestment plane provided their salary dues, and other arrears are cleared, according to sources at the airline.

These unions have already organised lunch hour meetings at four places, which includes at Old Airport in Kalina in the Western Santacruz suburb of Mumbai against the privatisation and have now called on their members to wear ‘Save Air India’ badges from Monday to oppose the move.

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