Air India's continuing nightmare

New Delhi: When 310 of Air India’s 450 pilots went on strike, they had little idea many of them would be pleading for their jobs to be given back forty days later. Yet, this is the latest imbroglio that the national carrier finds itself in. The Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), which represents Air India’s pilots, was completely blindsided by an unbending, newly appointed civil aviation minister, Ajit Singh. It had no idea that Singh would simply pick up the gauntlet thrown to him and turn the tables on the hapless pilots.
Singh not only terminated the services of 101 of the striking pilots, but also de-recognised the union. This means its representatives will not be called for negotiations by the management. The minister insisted the agitation be called off first, only then would taking the pilots back be considered and, that too on a case-by-case basis. In the meantime, the airline prepared a contingency plan to operate 75 per cent of its international flights.
20/06/12 Mihir Mishra/Business Standard

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Categories: Air India Jun 2012