Sena-NCP clash over cabin crew union

FOLLOWING Bharatiya Kamgar Sena (BKS) leader Kiran Pawaskar's exit from the Shiv Sena, the Sena-NCP war to assume control of unions affiliated to the aviation and hospitality sector has spilled out onto the streets.

The office of the Air India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA), which has about 2,500 members and was affiliated to the Sena-led BKS, has become the first casualty of the war.
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The office was sealed by Air India management on Friday to avoid any confrontation between workers of the two groups.

Kiran Pawaskar

That did not, however, stop Shiv Sena and NCP workers from wrangling near the union office last morning after Pawaskar allegedly made an attempt to take charge of it. A Sena activist is said to have stopped him from entering, leading to the clash.

This has now turned into an all-out tug of war between BKS-affiliated unions headed by AICCA President Bharat Kumar Raut and Pawaskar for the control of various other unions.
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Raut had earlier sacked four AICCA office bearers, including the vice-president, the treasurer, and the assistant general secretary, who had come out in support of Pawaskar.

"The Sena assembled a group of youth who created a ruckus near the office. Senior Sena leaders like Anil Desai and Vinayak Raut just went ahead and took control of the office.

It is laughable how they assume that they can simply take control of a Central Government premises.

They even made 40 passes to go into the office and proceeded to lock it on Friday, which was when the Air India management decided to put a lock of its own," said Pawaskar.

"It does not matter anyway. The office will be handed over to us by the management after two days, following verification of claims," he added.

Reacting to Raut's sacking of the office bearers, Pawaskar said, "How can he sack them when he has already been removed from the post?"

Raut admitted that there had been some tension at the office site but said that Sena workers had not started any brawl.

He confidently stated that everything would be decided at the AICCA extraordinary general meeting on January 17, where, he claimed, members would reaffirm their faith in his leadership and also the union's affiliation to the BKS.

In dispute

Raut also heads the Air India Service Engineers Association, Air India Employees Union and Air India Cabin Crew Association, which the NCP could try to wrest control of through Pawaskar.

The Air Employees Guild, which has several unions in its fold and in which Pawaskar wields considerable influence, could also be in dispute.