Air India pilots call off two-month strike

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New Delhi, Jul 3, 2012: The 58-day-long strike by Air India pilots was called off on Tuesday night after the Delhi High Court asked them to join duty within 48 hours and the management to sympathetically consider their grievances.

The decision to end the strike was announced by the Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) after a meeting of its managing committee in Mumbai.

“We, the pilots of Air India and members of the Indian Pilots Guild, on the intervention of Hon’ble Justice Ms Reva Khetrapal of the Hon’ble Delhi High Court, have started the procedure to resume work,” an IPG statement issued after the meeting said.

“We sincerely hope that the AI management and the Civil Aviation Ministry will be as sincere on their part. On this understanding, we are commencing the process of restoring normalcy of operations,” said IPG General Secretary E A Kapadia. The IPG statement came after its counsel, Geeta Luthra, told the high court that the striking pilots numbering 434 will join their duties in 48 hours.

Taking note of the assurance given by the agitating pilots, Justice Reva Khetrapal told the AI management to consider their grievances “sympathetically”, including reinstatement of those pilots who were terminated “as a consequence to their strike”.

She subsequently disposed the plea of the pilots seeking the court’s direction to the management for reinstatement of 101 pilots including the 10 office-bearers of the pilots’ guild who were sacked. Appearing for the AI management, counsel Lalit Bhasin submitted that the management was ready to hold talks with the pilots if they call off their strike. 

Courtesy: Deccan Herald