Mumbai: Air India trade unions are likely to demand a VRS package at their second meeting with Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi on Monday.
The minister is set to meet over a dozen Air India unions, including unrecognised ones, on Monday for the second time in a month over the airline’s privatisation plans.
The government is planning to float Expression of Interest (EoI) for selling its entire 100% stake in the loss-making flag carrier some time next week.
At the first meeting on January 2, the minister had made it clear that privatisation was the only option before the government to keep the airline afloat and sought employees cooperation in carrying out the disinvestment process.
Puri had also told the unions that he will call them again after the meeting of the ministerial panel on Air India disinvestment.
“Initially, we were told that government would protect our jobs if airline gets privatised and therefore we did not think about voluntary retirement.