Ministry fails to break AI logjam

Air India (AI) pilots’ strike has assumed political overtones. As the strike entered ninth day on Thursday, senior aviation ministry officials accused the BJP leaders of influencing the striking pilots and prolonging a breakthrough. BJP leadership on the other hand has rebutted this charge citing wayward handling of the pilots strike by UPA government.
“The pilots have been meeting BJP leaders regularly. Even on Thursday, before coming to the aviation ministry for negotiation, they went to meet former civil aviation minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy and BJP president Nitin Gadkari. Now, they have new demands. They want an assurance of 70 flying hours and increase in foreign travel allowances. The BJP is trying to instigate them,” an aviation ministry official who did not want to be named, said.
Rudy, the BJP spokesperson and aviation minister in the NDA government, however, brushed aside such allegations. “If it was not for BJP, the negotiations would not have even started. We have issues with the CMD. He is responsible for all the mess. The pilots do not want to talk to them. It is good that the management is not a part of the dialogue,” he said.
The BJP leaders have already expressed their animosity towards AI chairman and managing director (CMD) Arvind Jadhav by holding him responsible for the entire AI crisis. BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy earlier in the week had said that the Arvind Jadhav was reporting directly to the PMO (prime minister’s office).
05/05/11 Parul Chhaparia/mydigitalfc.com

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Categories: Air India May 2011