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| Air India strike Day 2: |
| Air India strike Day 2: Ajit Singh says pilots haven't come forward for talks
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| INDIA
, 9-May-2012
4:43:30 AM |
| As the strike called by protesting Air India pilots entered its second day today, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said the pilots have not approached him with their concerns yet. Terming the strike illegal, the minister added that while the government is trying to bail out the national carrier, he expects the pilots to cooperate and be responsible.
"The action they have taken is not justified. They have inconvenienced passengers and compromised the credibility of Air India. Pilots are the most powerful, highest-paid employees in any airline. But with that power, they should have responsibility also. It's not just their job. The job of thousands of people in Air India depends on them. Air India is already almost at the verge of bankruptcy and the government is trying to bail it out, giving lot of money. But part of that bailout is with strings that they (pilots) have to perform. For the last three months, Air India was doing better. Now with this action, they should consider what the result would be," the minister said.
"They know they can't strike without notice. It is an illegal strike. They have not come forward for talks yet. They must be responsible. The government is trying to bail out Air India but they (pilots) must cooperate," he added.
Yesterday, 150 Air India pilots, reportedly unhappy with the management over their promotions, skipped work by calling in sick. A furious management then derecognized a major union - the Indian Pilots Guild - and sacked ten pilots, including four office-bearers of the guild. The union's offices in Mumbai and Delhi were also sealed. Medical teams were sent to the homes of some of the pilots who had reported sick. But despite this, the pilots remain undeterred and are continuing with their strike for the second day today, resulting in cancellation of many international flights.
Air India operates about 50 international flights a day. A month ago, the government cleared a 30,000 crore bailout for the airline.
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