In effort to bust strike, AI may sack 300 more pilots

The Air India management is preparing for harsher action on the pilots who have been on strike for 35 days now, and sources say that 300 more pilots could be dismissed in the fresh action.

This is in addition to the 101 pilots owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots Guild, whose services have been terminated since the strike began on 7 May.

Sources in the state-owned airline told PTI that “tough action” would be taken against the remaining 300-odd pilots; this could include dismissal from service.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh had on Wednesday said that for him, the strike was over and he did not see any point in the striking pilots coming back.He said that the decision to withdraw the strike lay entirely with the pilots.

[caption id=“attachment_338203” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The Air India management is preparing for harsher action against the striking pilots. AP”] [/caption]

“I have already said that the strike is already over from our side.If the management has to take any action, they will take as per the labour law,” he said.

Earlier, the minister had said that alternative plans were being drawn up to ensure that operations of the state-run carrier were normalised within two or three months so that a revival plan could be put in place.

Noting that there were about 500 expat pilots in the country, he said the management was in touch with them.

There are about 60-odd expat pilots, trained on wide-bodied aircraft like Boeing 777s or Airbus A-300s, whose contracts with Jet Airways have ended or are about to expire.

Kingfisher Airlines is also facing trouble and the government is hoping that there will be sufficient trained pilots looking for job prospects elsewhere.

Maintaining that the strike by the pilots was illegal, Singh slammed the agitators for resorting to strike during the peak season without any notice.

PTI