Indian airline, Vistara, on Monday announced a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) and voluntary separation scheme (VSS) for some of its employees as the merger with Air India approaches. Media reports said that the scheme was issued for the permanent ground staff of the carrier.
This move follows Air India’s decision on similar lines announced for its ground staff earlier in the month, reported Business Standard. The report noted that Vistara sent a message to its workforce and said all the permanent ground staff who have been with the carrier for five years are eligible for the scheme. The VSS scheme, on the other hand, is applicable on employees who have been working the airline for less than five years in non-flying departments.
Citing the message, the report said that those partaking in the scheme would be entitled to receive ‘gratuity’, ‘encashment of leave’, and ‘provident fund’ in line with the company policy and government norms.
The carrier informed that the ex-gratia amount would be decided and provided by ‘government-authorised patterns’. It further informed that any licensed role holders, cabin crew members, pilots, and employees retiring by the end of the current financial year remain ineligible for the scheme.
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Notably, Vistara is scheduled to complete its merger with Air India by the end of this year. Vistara has a workforce of nearly 6,500 employees and will form a single full-service carrier with Air India once the merger is finalised. At the same time, two of Air India’s subsidiaries, AIX Connect and Air India Express are also coming together to create a single low-cost carrier.
Typically, ground operations are managed by employees handling customer servcie, security checks, ramp service, baggage handling, and cargo operations. These employees are responsible for assisting customers in handling any issues pertaining to security or luggage, among other things.