The prime minister gave the MPs a patient hearing and assured them that he would look into the problems raised by them, a statement issued by the parties said.
Left parties today urged prime minister Manmohan Singh to set up a probe into how Air India turned into a loss-making entity after merger and demanded restoration of recognition of two major unions.
A delegation of MPs of the four parties today met the prime minister and also demanded that 55 employees, whose services were terminated after a strike in May, be reinstated with full back wages and benefits and all those suspended be allowed to resume duties.
"A high-powered Committee should be constituted to enquire as to how the two profit-making public sector undertakings --Air India and (erstwhile) Indian Airlines, had become a loss-making company after merger," a memorandum submitted by the Left MPs said.
The MPs, led by Basudeb Acharia, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), Narahari Mahato (Forward Bloc) and Manohar Tirkey (RSP), demanded implementation of the recommendations of two parliamentary committees to bring the two airlines running domestic and international flights under a single holding company.
Both the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture and the Committee on Public Undertakings have made the same recommendations in their latest reports on Air India.
In the memorandum signed by 23 Left MPs, the parties sought cancellation of "all unilateral, arbitrary decisions" taken by Air India management and said that employees' cooperation should be sought to turn around the company.
The MPs blamed the airline management for initiating "a series of measures to curtail and deny the trade union rights of the employees by de-recognising the Air Corporation Employees Union and All India Aircraft Engineers Association".
They also pointed out that services of 55 employees were terminated, 31 were suspended and 13 staffers were reverted to their earlier positions.
"The entire victimisation initiated by the administration is against the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act taken after the withdrawal of protest action and during pendency of conciliation (proceedings)," the MPs said.
The prime minister gave the MPs a patient hearing and assured them that he would look into the problems raised by them, a statement issued by the parties said.
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