Air India sacks 10 pilots, derecognises union

TNN

New Delhi, 08 May 2012: There is no end to uncertainty in sight for passengers scheduled to fly Air India’s international flights. With aviation minister Ajit Singh terming the strike of erstwhile AI pilots ’illegal’ and saying appropriate action would be taken, the management on Tuesday sacked 10 agitating pilots and derecognized Nationalist Congress Party-backed union, Indian Pilots Guild (IPG).

 

The airline has asked the agitating pilots to report to work by Tuesday evening. It also started sending doctors to the homes of some of the 160 pilots who have reported sick and are abstaining from flying since Monday night. Sources say that the number of layoffs could rise as the government is in no mood to buckle under IPG’s pressure.

 

"They have not given any strike notice and this agitation is illegal. IPG has demanded things like fast track promotion to commander’s position in six years instead of 10 and permission to fly first class for staff on duty. When public money in thousands of crores is being earmarked for saving AI, such a strike is completely uncalled for. The public should not be inconvenienced," Ajit Singh said. He added that "discussion and disruption cannot happen simultaneously" ruling out talks with IPG. Buckling under IPG pressure would lead to strikes by other sections of employees to get their demands met.

 

But the IPG, which is led by Maharashtra NCP MLA Jitendra Ahwad, is unrelenting. "The derecognition of IPG is undemocratic and just shows that the management is biased against erstwhile AI. Pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines have gone on several strikes in the recent past but was their union, Indian Commercial Pilots Association, ever derecognized?" Ahwad, who holds a commercial pilots’ licence but is not a serving pilot, asked on behalf of erstwhile AI pilots.

 

About five long-haul flights of AI, including prestigious nonstop ones like Delhi-Toronto, Delhi-Chicago and Mumbai-Newark, were cancelled on Monday night-Tuesday morning. A similar uncertainty hangs over Tuesday night-Wednesday morning’s flights also.

 

Furious at the latest strike, the airline management and the aviation ministry have made it clear that they will not give in to the strong arm tactics of IPG. "The government has earmarked Rs 30,000 crore for AI and the total bailout package with the debt restructuring works out to Rs 42,000 crore. With this kind of public money being set aside for reviving AI, can such actions be justified? If such indiscipline continues, there may be a rethink on the entire package," said an official.

 

Ajit Singh also made it clear that with AI facing strong financial turbulence, the strike was not doing any good to the airline’s image. "AI employees earn their bread and butter from passengers. By inconveniencing them, what can be achieved? If AI does not survive, what will become of the employees?" he said.