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Air India Pilots Call off Strike, Apologise to Passengers

  •   Wed, Sep 30 2009 11:52:16 AM

New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS): Air India pilots called off their five-day strike Wednesday following assurances from the civil aviation ministry that there would be no salary cuts.

"We have received official communication from civil aviation minister (Praful Patel) and he himself has assured that there would be no salary cuts. So we immediately call off the strike," said Captain V.K. Bhalla, a senior executive pilot who was spearheading the strike.

"We have no reason to not trust the civil aviation minister. I am asking all the pilots to come back on work. We would now fully cooperate with the management. We also apologise to passengers for the inconvenience caused," Bhalla added.

"Captain V.K. Bhalla is not above the government of India," he said at a crowded press conference.

The strike had begun Saturday with 180 Air India pilots going on sick leave to protest the cut in their PLI (productivity linked incentives).

Till Tuesday, day four of the strike, 100 flights had been cancelled. On Wednesday morning, 28 flights, including two international, had been cancelled.

Technical engineers and Mumbai-based pilots had also joined the strike, which was being led by the Delhi faction of the senior executive pilots.

The pilots had been protesting the cut in their wages, but the airline had maintained this was being done as it had reported losses of over Rs.7,200 crore since the last fiscal.

When asked about huge losses to Air India, Bhalla said the profitability of any airlines was directly related to fuel consumption. "We will advise the management on how to prevent wasteful expenditure," he said. Giving an instance, he said if Air India was sponsoring a golf tournament the pilots would suggest that it should not do so.
  

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Comment on this article

  • Cynthia Miranda, Mangalore

    Thu, Oct 01 2009

    Some of these pilots work only for money. They are highly paid and least bothered about passengers. At crisis time they should be with the Air lines who gave them the job. Arrogant pilots should be removed from the job and replaced by the new ones who are waiting in plenty to get into the airlines..

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  • Shane, Mangalore

    Thu, Oct 01 2009

    I am a dr and proffesor at that I am getting around 65 thousand with 20 experience as a teacher as salary, and the pilot gets 6o thousand what a contrast. when there is reccession going on , what ever the reasons for the down fall of the AI , I think as its employees should have helped the aircraft get away fronm the mess . these people should be thrown out along with punishing the minister former & current who have taxed the airline by using the cars & fuel belonging to the AI ,  I think thats why the minister relented ...

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  • chetan shetty, mangalore

    Thu, Oct 01 2009

    I WISHED AIR INDIA STOPS FOR EVER OR LET THE TATA'S TAKE OVER FOR GOOD INSTEAD WASTING PUBLIC MONEY AND TIME.

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  • Lokanath.D, Bantwal/Iran

    Thu, Oct 01 2009

    Totally what i would like to say,pilots hijacked the aviation ministry due to weak administration,  I think now pilot wing become one of the strongest union in india.  I appeal all of the trade unions to take affiliation of pilot union.

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  • Hariprasad Hegde, Mangalore/Udupi

    Thu, Oct 01 2009

    These indian pilots are terrorist, i am sure they can hijack their plane for not getting their demands. These pilots should be sued by the passengers who suffered because of them. Why the airline is not sueing these staffs because of them they are in a big loss. I rememember Qantas airline had sued their pilots for all the loses, Air India is already suffering from their first strike which was in 1974 if i am not mistaken. So wakeup all the airlines do not let them take you'll for a ride...goodluck.

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  • A.S.Mathew, U.S.A.

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    Apology from the pilots, it is pathetic. They all need to be admitted to the hospitals. They will get sick again and create problems for the public. AI has no future and no hope for survival, with this attitude of the pilots and other employees.

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  • Gerald Dsouza, Chikmagalur

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    Request the Government to appoint a dynamic young industrialist on board of director or CMD of loss making organization.

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  • STALIN MISQUITH, MANGALORE/BAHRAIN

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA....

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  • Joseph , Doha, Qatar

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    I fully endorse the views of Mr. Shahnawaz. In contrast to the aviation sector, the Railways are more than a 1000 times better. I recall the words of my own uncle (took voluntary retirement) who served as a motorman in the Central Railway (Bombay Division). His was a respected job. The strikes were unheard of and all employees were dedicated enough, they would put in their heart and soul in their work and work as one big family. There were very few strikes (the prominent Union being the Datta Samant Union) and the Management would go out of its way and bring the strike to an end within the least possible time. During his service days, all employees falling under the essential services viz. railways, hospital, milk-supply, fire brigade, water supply, police, electricity etc. had to sign a mandatory surety bond stating that they would not resort to any violence or cause any inconvenience to the public for their hike in salary, bonus, provident fund, gratuity etc. or for any other allied matters. These days, it’s the other way round….. it has become a fashion for every Tom Dick and Harry to resort to strike for the smallest cause and they just don’t care for anybody. They think it is their birthright in this democratic country and can garner the support of any Labour Union and see that their demands are amicably materialized.

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  • shahnawaz kukkikatte, dubai/udupi

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    Let all essential services like medical, paramedical, transportation, police, security, water, electricty, health care etc and the like come under essential services act and these organisation must be legally banned from picketing and striking and holding the entire nation for ransom and causing lot of inconvenience to tax payers and common man. However, there should be time tested procedures laid down for airing their rightful grievances and a protocol and mechanism to address such grievances must be in place. Is not our democracy being hijacked or misused? Is not common mans right is violated by these striking employees? I feel if we dont improve ourselves, we may look for some one outside our country to rule us like british/americans.

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  • ISMAIL K PERINJE, perinje/YANBU-KSA

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    AIR INDIA a loss making airlines need to review it's policy and by the same time staffs must co operate the institution.As recession taking it's toll every where ,Pilots strike were unjustified.Loss have been done by striking,and in future to run the airlines staffs support is crucial.Apologising to passengers will do nothing.

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