HAL staff face FIR for violating injunction on strike

An FIR has been filed against Hindustan Aeronautics Employees Association (HAEA) representatives over wage issues despite the company obtaining an injunction order against the strike early last week.

The chief of security of HAL, M M Bebarta is the complainant in the case lodged with the HAL police who registered an FIR mentioning HAEA president and its representatives as accused.

In his complaint, Bebarta said the injunction order obtained by the company against the employee strike was in effect till August 24, but HAEA representatives began striking from 5 pm on August 23.

HAEA members, including its secretary and executive committee members gathered and began strike at the gates of the aircraft division, overhaul division, facility management division and six other sections of the company.

HAL sources said the protests were held on wage-related issues. “The association wants revision in their wages,” said a source who wished to be anonymous. “But they’re divided over the revision. While experienced employees want wage revision once in five years, the younger employees want revision once in ten years.”

‘Injunction order’

“But as the employees violated the injunction order obtained by the company against the strike action, we have to register a police complaint,” Bebarta said.

When asked if the action was related to an incident on May 23 where a 21-year-old mechanic at the Aircraft Research and Development Centre stabbed his chief over a salary dispute, HAL spokesperson Gopal Sutar told DH that the two are unrelated.

He clarified that the stabbing incident was a scuffle between contract workers and did not involve HAL employees.