Aviation minister nudges AI to take a tough stand on strike

Mumbai: Ajit Singh, the Union civil aviation minister , seems to have taken a tough stance on the on-going Air India pilots' strike. Here is why. With the burden of a government bailout for Air India weighing on him, Singh has managed to nudge the airline into taking a firm stance in dealing with the Air India strike.
This is in complete contrast to what happened last year, when the aviation ministry , under Vayalar Ravi, agreed to most of the demands by ICPA, a union of pilots affiliated to Indian Airlines. The hardening stance of the ministry and Air India - and their threat to sack nearly 340 agitating pilots at the loss-making Air India - has striking pilots of Air India alleging that the Indian Airline faction of Air India are now calling the shots.
Only last year, pilots from the Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) - a union of pilots affiliated to Air India - alleged that the management treated with kid gloves a faction of pilots belonging to the erstwhile Indian Airlines, who had grounded the carrier for 12 days. In May 2011, the ministry of civil aviation had signed an agreement with the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), a union affiliated to the then Indian Airlines.
25/06/12 Manisha Singhal/Economic Times

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Categories: Air India Jun 2012