Be ready for new work culture, Air India chief writes to employees

NEW DELHI: With privatization on the anvil, Air India chairman Ashwani Lohani told employees to be ready for a complete change in work culture and that merit will get a “better deal”. He also gave the reason for the government decision to sell off AI — the Maharaja ’s inability to service his accumulated debt burden of Rs 50,000 crore.“This huge debt has accumulated due to continuous losses over the years. You would, however, appreciate that unless a solution is found to this huge debt, survival in the long run is almost impossible and the proposal to consider disinvestment is a step in this direction. It is the firm conviction of the government that the process of disinvestment is only meant to make Air India a much stronger world class airline... This would indeed be a win-win solution for employees,” Lohani wrote in a letter to employees.He also asked people to be ready for the new work culture in a private set up.“These are changing times and any change, despite being inevitable, is always hard to accept. Ownership changes that we expect at Air India would also lead to a change in the working environment and the work culture. The complexities of working in a PSU environment would get replaced by a corporate culture, a culture in which merit would get a better deal.”“This should enable a full realization of the inherent potential of your airline besides creating an environment that would indeed be conducive for all of us who are used to working hard with commitment and integrity. The wonderful team of Air Indians, especially the licensed personnel (which include pilots, aircraft engineers and cabin crew) should therefore have nothing to be sceptical about,” Lohani wrote.The chairman tried to allay employees’ fears sparked by government move to privatize AI by telling them that their “genuine and valid” interests would be safeguarded. He also complemented them for the airline’s expanded network and improved services.“While it is true that the merger has led to operational difficulties, yet we remain confident of solving the genuine grievances of the employees, an effort that has met with success though on a limited scale,” he said while exhorting staff to continue working hard to increase AI’s market share.