HAL workers to go on indefinite strike from October 14

Seeking fair and early settlement of wage revision-2017, the workers’ union, representing 19,000 employees of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), issued a notice for an indefinite strike from October 14. The stir will affect all the nine HAL units spread across seven States.

Strike notices were issued to the respective management heads of all the nine units by the All India HAL Trade Unions Coordination Committee (AIHALTUCC). In Bengaluru, the company’s headquarters, the notice was served after a general body meeting attended by about 4,000 employees.

The committee’s Chief Convenor Suryadevara Chandrashekhar said it was now up to the HAL management to respond. “All is now in the hands of the management. The future course of action will depend on how far they will come, and with what best offer will they approach us.”

According to Chandrashekhar, “While officer wages have seen a 35% rise in gross pay and 110 to 145% hike in perks, the management has offered workmen a meagre 6% increase.”

A meeting between the committee and the HAL management on August 24 had failed to reach a consensus. Later, the chief convenor had proposed to the entire nine divisions’ unions for an indefinite strike to achieve more than 15% fitment and 35% perks with all other demands.

Although the HAL management has not formally responded to the strike call, it had earlier contested the union’s demand to extend the benefits (fitment benefit and allowances) on par with the executives.

The management position was this: Salary revision of executives was effected from January 1, 2017, after the stipulated 10 year period.

The company had contended that the revision had to be settled keeping in view the increase derived by the officers from the 2007 scales to the 2017 scales and by the workmen from the 2007 scales to the 2012 scales, and now 2012 to the 2017 scales. But the committee was not ready to accept the management’s offer of 11% fitment and 21% perks. “The HAL Management is always open to conclude the workers’ wage revision expeditiously,” the company had said in an official statement.