Air India pilots failed to recognise that times have changed, and that their irresponsible move in reporting sick en masse would not be tolerated any longer
Air India pilots failed to recognise that times have changed, and that their irresponsible move in reporting sick en masse would not be tolerated any longer
The withdrawal of the 58-day-long strike by Air India pilots belonging to the Indian Pilots’ Guild should be a lesson to all that going on strike in the irresponsible manner they did is not in anybody’s interest. It is not that some demands and issues they raised were without merit, but the way they struck without notice, suddenly leaving thousands of passengers in the lurch, did not win them too much sympathy.
Of course, it also severely dented the image of an already floundering airline. The pilots seemed to be living in the past, when they used to strike on the flimsiest of grounds and got away with it due to political support. The pilots failed to recognise that times have changed, and that their irresponsible move in reporting sick en masse would not be tolerated any longer. They did not even get the backing of well-wishers as they went from pillar to post seeking support.
It is to the credit of civil aviation minister Ajit Singh that he stood firm against the pilots’ blackmail and even made repeated attempts to reassure them he would look into their grievances, but only after they called off their strike. They were, however, adamant and even went to the extent of going on a hungerstrike. In the end they had to sign affidavits declaring they would come back to work and are now reduced to pleading for reinstatement of sacked compatriots. One hopes the management will remain firm on punitive action against at least those who instigated this irresponsible action. Also, it is important that the union, obviously misled by its politically-affiliated president, continues to stay derecognised.
For the management it was a pyrrhic victory: it cannot be absolved of shirking its responsibility of looking into the pilots’ genuine grievances. The airline has suffered huge damage — both financially and to its image. While it may recover some of the Rs 600 crores lost, retrieving its image will be far more challenging.
The civil aviation minister must take some serious decisions on the airline management. It simply cannot be left to joint secretaries who use the position of Air India chairman to secure their next plum position in the IAS hierarchy. To run a commercial airline in a highly competitive environment is not a job for amateurs. If Air India is to be saved, it needs a thorough overhaul by a professional board and professional managers free from day-to-day interference by politicians and bureaucrats. A complete overhaul of perks and privileges granted to its staff, former staff and their families, as well as politicians, is desperately needed. The national carrier is run with taxpayers’ money; it cannot be the fiefdom of any coterie.
