(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA)
Bengaluru, June 25, 2019: It is regrettable that All India HAL Trade Unions Coordination Committee has resorted to the agitation from today and some members have spoken to a section of media regarding their pending wage revision. Most of their contention is untenable. The claim of the Unions that HAL Management is deliberately delaying wage settlement and that offers given to them are meagre, is not true, as nine rounds of discussions have already been held. The latest meeting with the Unions was held for two continuous days. The HAL Management believes that workers’ wage revision from January 1, 2017 can only be achieved with the co-operation of the Unions, based on realistic and affordable expectations.

For example, there is no justification and rationale in the demand of the Unions to extend the benefits (fitment benefit and allowances) on par or more than executives, when salary revision of executives was effected from January 1, 2017 after stipulated 10 year period. The increase in respect of officers with effect from January 1, 2017 needs to be compared with the base of January 1, 2007. On the other hand, workmen got two wage revisions of five years periodicity during the same span.

The revision needs to be settled keeping in view the increase derived by the officers from the 2007 scales to the 2017 scales and by the workmen from the 2007 scales to the 2012 scales and now 2012 to the 2017 scales.

The views expressed by the Unions that pay scales of executives among PSUs including HAL are same whereas wages of workmen in other PSUs are more than HAL, is incorrect. It is a fact that the scales of pay of executives prevailing in many Navratna / Maharatna companies is higher than those in HAL. Further, revision of executives is notified by the Government. In respect of workmen, it is negotiated with the Unions. The HAL Management is always open to conclude the workers’ wage revision expeditiously.