New Delhi: The chief labour commissioner (CLC) has convened another round of talks between the Air India management and a section of striking pilots 18 June to find a solution to end the 38-day-old stir.
“The CLC has called us again for a meeting with the Air India management. This was our tenth meeting today (Wednesday) with the management,” said Rohit Kapahi, committee member of Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG).
Protesting pilots. AFP
“They (management) have not shown any willingness to start talks or negotiate with us,” he said.
Sources said the airline’s management cannot go ahead and talk to pilots belonging to the IPG as the union has been de-recognised. The pilots, however, claimed that their union was legally recognised and that the airline should start talks at the earliest.
The development comes even as the Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the central government and the Air India management on a plea by the striking pilots seeking payment of their salaries for March.
The pilots moved court seeking their salaries for March, as they were not on strike at that time.
Justice SP Garg, hearing the plea filed by Captain Sumeer Saini and other striking pilots, said, “Issue notice to the respondents (the government and Air India). A reply be filed within a week.”
The court would next hear the case 10 July.
The pilots’ move to approach the high court came after the airline mulled the option of sacking another 300 striking pilots. Air India has already sacked 101 pilots. It has also advertised for new pilots.
The strike has severely hit Air India’s international operations, with the airline only operating 38 out of its 45 services.
Representing the aviators of the Air India, the IPG went on strike 8 May against the move to train their counterparts from the erstwhile Indian Airlines on the soon-to-be-inducted Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
IANS
