Air India Strike Called Off-Employees to Join Duty Immediately

From Sources: Eugene Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

New Delhi, 26 May 2010: The strong action by the Air India authorities backed by the Central Government which went to the extent of issuing  sacking order to 15 of its  employees and the stay on the strike issued by the Delhi High Court succeeded in bringing the 48 hour long strike by the Air India employees to a close in the evening of Wednesday, 26 May 2010. The Delhi High Court stayed  the ongoing strike by Air India employees till July 13.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Air India’s management the National Aviation Company of India Ltd, which demanded that the strike be declared illegal, void and ineffective. Around 15,000 crew members and maintenance engineers of the airline are on a nationwide strike since Tuesday, protesting a gag order issued on the members for talking to the media after Saturday’s air crash in Mangalore and delay in payment of salaries.

The Air India Union sources said that  the employees are ready to end the strike and join work following the strictures by the High Court which observed that the strike is harming the airline business. Moreover, the strike did not have any sympathy for the general public coming  on the heal of the air disaster on 22 May 2010.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said that the strike by the airline staff was illegal, even as thousands of travellers across the country were livid after as many as 140 flights of the state-run carrier were cancelled or diverted.  He was severe in his condemnation of the strike by the Air India employees and had said that strict action would be taken against the indiscipline of the striking employees. The move by the Air India Management to issue dismissal orders against the striking workers did the trick along with the restraining order by the Delhi High Court on the strike which also issued an order that the proposed strike from 31 May 2010 by the Air India employees would be illegal.

According to a report the cancellation of a large number of  domestic and international flights has cost the Air India nearly 10 crores of rupees in income. It is believed that with the resumption of work by the Air India employees within a short period, the flights might take off within an hour of the end of the strike and the already harassed passengers can heave a sigh of relief and look forward to reach their destinations.