MUMBAI: Taking prompt action against agitating pilots, Air India on Tuesday de-recognized their union, sacked 10 pilots who were the union’s executive committee members, and sealed their office after around 220 pilots called in sick nationwide, leading to the cancellation of at least 20 international flights since Monday night. The pilots, though, have decided to continue their protest.
Mumbai airport officials said flights to London, Hong Kong, Jeddah and Newark had to be cancelled. While a Newark-Mumbai-Ahmedabad flight was also cancelled, a flight to Singapore was delayed by four hours. Passengers on these flights have been put up in hotels by the airline until it operates flights or makes alternative arrangements.
Union civil aviation minister Ajit Singh had earlier in the day termed the agitation “illegal’’ and warned that stern action would be taken against pilots if they did not report to work by 6pm. A few hours later, he announced the decision to terminate pilots belonging to the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) and de-recognize it. The IPG, a 500-member union of erstwhile Air India pilots, is backed by the NCP.
“They are reporting sick. They have not given any notice for any strike,’’ the minister told the media in New Delhi. By then, the IPG office at the AI complex in Kalina and one in Delhi had been sealed and police personnel were posted outside. The airline said in a release: “Air India is making efforts to operate some schedules with non-unionized category of pilots. It is also making efforts to accommodate disrupted flight passengers on flights of other airlines.’’
The move to sack pilots was part of a series of steps taken by the management to quash the pilots’ protest. The first came in the morning, with the airline sending its doctors to record the medical condition of pilots who had called in sick. “The merged airline’s 20-25 doctors posted in the city went to the residences of these pilots for medical check-ups,’’ a source said.
Later in the day, the IPG pilots were called to the Central Labour Commissioner’s office in Delhi for conciliation talks with the management. “The pilots will be at a disadvantage at the conciliation meeting as the airline has already de-recognized the union and terminated its key members,’’ a source said.
The IPG pilots are protesting against the airline management’s decision to send pilots of the erstwhile IA to train on the Boeing-787 Dreamliner. The battle between pilots of the two sides has worsened with the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), the union representing erstwhile IA pilots, coming out in support of the management. “We would like to offer our services for the Boeing 777 training or any other requirement of the management with immediate effect,’’ a letter sent by the ICPA to the airline chairman stated.
The strike comes at a time the airline is facing a severe financial crisis. The merged airline, which has a debt burden of Rs 43,777 crore, has been promised a bailout package of Rs 30,000 crore in 10 years, including an upfront equity infusion of Rs 6,750 crore, by the government. Last week, the management decided to send a batch of pilots from the erstwhile IA to Singapore to train on the Dreamliner. The training has been a contentious issue between pilots of the erstwhile AI and IA. The AI pilots contend that since the aircraft were ordered by their airline before the merger, they should have exclusive rights to train and fly the B-787s. They said since the aircraft ordered by IA are exclusively flown by its pilots, the rule should apply to them too.
Last October, the IPG took the matter to the Bombay high court and in March this year, the court ruled that status quo be maintained till the integration process between two airlines is complete. It meant that only AI pilots would be sent for B-787 training. However, the ICPA approached the Supreme Court against the order. On April 23, the apex court vacated the stay given by the HC, subject to the HC’s final hearing. It meant that IA pilots too could be now sent for B-787 training. “But the SC had also advised the HC to settle the matter in six months and said if the HC ruled in the IPG’s favour, the ICPA pilots sent for training on B-787 should not be used on the aircraft,’’ an airline source said.
The ICPA again approached the SC on May 2, stating that its pilots had not been sent for training yet. The AI’s advocate submitted before the court that the pilots would be sent for training on May 8. In response, the IPG pilots began their agitation on May 4.
“In the talks between the IPG and the airline management over the last three days, the former demanded equal opportunity in career progression as has been given to the ICPA pilots,’’ a source said. The talks failed as giving such a commitment to Air India pilots would add to the financial burden of the company, the source added.
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