Air India reinstates 8 employees sacked after Mangalore crash

In some good news on the eve of the new year, national carrier Air India has reinstated eight of the 55 employees sacked for striking work after the May 22 Mangalore plane crash.

"Civil aviation minister Praful Patel has informed me that the Air India management has issued orders revoking termination of eight engineers with immediate effect," CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told PTI in Delhi today.

The issue of other terminated employees and re-recognition of the ACEU and AIAEA would be taken up in the coming days, Yechury, who is the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture, said.

Yechury said he would be holding a meeting with Patel shortly in this regard.

The Air India management in May had terminated services of 55 employees besides suspending 32 others after a section of the now derecognised AIAEA and ACEU went on a two-day flash strike amid relief work in the aftermath of the Mangalore plane crash that claimed 158 lives.

It also withdrew the recognition granted to these unions.

The employees had struck work against a management's "gag order", banning them from interacting with the media.

The suspension of all the 32 employees were revoked last month.