The strike by pilots of flag carrier Air India intensified on Friday, with the warring employees saying they were prepared for arrests, but would not return to work until the government assured them of meaningful talks to settle their issues.
No such assurance came from the government or state-run Air India Ltd till Friday.
The strike entered its third day, leaving Air India passengers stranded across the country with just 50 flights operating. The airline normally operates 320 flights daily.
Members of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (Icpa) and management pilots, totalling around 840, or nearly half the airline’s pilot workforce, have sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into corruption by Air India’s top management as well as into wage parity within the organization.
“We are more than willing to go (to) jail. Nearly 31,000 Air India employees will also be ready to court arrest because we are serious about saving the national carrier from ruin,” said Rishab Kapur, Icpa’s general secretary. “We are willing to get back to work provided the government assures (us) that they will look into the corruption issue raised by us and order a CBI inquiry.”
The government remained defiant, adopting a no-talks stance till the strike is ended.
30/04/11 Tarun Shukla & P.R. Sanjai/Live Mint
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