Labour troubles at AIESL’s MRO depots halt work

Nagpur: Labour troubles continued to dog Air India Engineering Services Limited's (AIESL) maintenance repair of overhaul (MRO) depots across the country, where nearly 180 technicians have submitted resignations and others have shunned work since three days.AIESL has MROs in Nagpur, Hyderabad, Delhi, Trivandrum, Mumbai and Kolkata. Technicians make the core manpower of an MRO as they are responsible for executing works on the aircraft. Sources in the management admit that 180 persons going away would leave a major manpower vacuum. Technicians are moving to private sector organisations in the aircraft maintenance business.AIESL is now evaluating the losses in terms of man-hours and finances and each of the MROs have been asked to send a report, said sources.When contacted, the AIESL CEO Sharad Agrawal refused to comment.The agitation began on Wednesday after the technicians who had resigned were allegedly not being relieved. They were also allegedly denied an experience certificate. Others who have not quit shunned work in protest.Meanwhile, AIESL officials requesting anonymity said the recent rules call for getting relieving formalities done only at the head office in Delhi. There is no need to give an experience certificate as well, because the other organisations would take them even without it, said a source.