Air India staff demand higher ground insurance

Air India staff has sought higher ground insurance from the airline. Currently, the staff of the national carrier is eligible for only life and health insurance if they contract COVID infection on the flight. However, the clause does not cover coronavirus on ground.

According to India Today, an Air India staff told the channel that the group insurance gets reduced to a "paltry" Rs 10 lakh when staff lands after a flight. Against this backdrop, the cabin crew members of the national carrier have written a letter to the Executive Directive Inflight Service with regards to financial security.

The crew members asked for an insurance cover of at least Rs 1 crore on ground against the coronavirus pandemic and any future similar occurrences. The cabin crew said that the move will motivate the morale of the staff and that the airline will reap the benefits in the future.

A senior cabin crew expressed his fear saying that he and his colleagues were worried about their families. "We don't know who will be responsible for our life insurance. Giving first aid to the passenger in a PPE mask is dangerous as it also exposes us to the infection which no one seems to think about. This is really a dicey operation," the Air India staff added.

Several cabin crew members highlighted that many AI staffers tested coronavirus positive during the  Vande Bharat mission, or flying on a domestic route despite the best precautions. According to the AI staff, the risk of the virus was being "undermined by the airline".

Source: Business Today