Striking domestic pilots defied a 5 pm deadline set by national carrier Air India to return to work on Friday, even as the prospect of a formal shutdown of domestic operations loomed large. Two more pilots were sacked on Friday, taking the number to nine.
There has been chaos at airports across India since thousands of Air India passengers have been left in the lurch because of the sudden pilot strike and inability to find tickets in private airlines at reasonable prices. Most private airlines hiked fares, with some tickets for a Delhi-Mumbai one-way flight on Saturday reaching `15,000. Air India is also exploring the possibility of requisitioning the services of 26 sets of pilots from private carrier Kingfisher for a limited period of time in order to operate more flights.
The government is weighing several options, including writing to state governments to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (Esma), waiting for the culmination of the Delhi high court contempt notice proceedings against three ICPA office-bearers, or else to effect a formal shutdown of domestic operations of the national carrier. Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav on Friday met civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi to take stock of the grave situation.
The Delhi high court observed on Friday that “it is clearly evident that the members of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association are acting in utter defiance of the orders of the court”. Referring to the conduct of pilots as “brazen and wilful”, the court observed that there is “complete lack of respect for court orders” and that it “undermines the authority, dignity and majesty of the court”. The court has initiated suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against ICPA after reports claimed that the pilots were defying the orders of the court. The matter has now been referred to the Chief Justice, who will place it before an appropriate bench. The proceedings shall commence from May 2.
Air India sources said the airline was collating data on how many pilots rejected the deadline to return to work. Saturday may see sackings of more pilots by the airline. Till about 8 pm on Friday, only about 60 domestic flights (of the usual daily 320 domestic flights) of the airline were operated, of which 15 were from New Delhi. The pilots refused to back down from their strike, with one of them even saying that they would treat the sack orders from the management as “toilet paper”. The Indian Railways is operating special trains to clear passenger rush and has also opened counters at airports.
Earlier in the day, the pilots seemed to have softened their stand even as they referred to the late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was an Indian Airlines pilot, in glowing terms, saying he “was one of them”. They said they were open to negotiations provided the management revoked the sack orders of pilots. But by Friday evening, it became clear that the pilots were sticking to their stand. ICPA office-bearer A.S. Bhinder said the management should hold talks with the pilots instead of weighing the option of a “partial lockout”. The pilots also said they were ready to face termination of service or even arrest but said they would continue to demand wage parity with Air India’s international route pilots.
Meanwhile, reacting to the developments, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said, “Irrespective of the merits of the demands raised by striking pilots, we strongly object to the way the Air India management has derecognised the pilots’ unions. Everybody has the right to organise unions. It is a fundamental right.”
Air India officials in Delhi said that pilots had been asked to return to work by 5 pm on Friday and made it clear that action would be taken against those pilots who had not turned up for work on account of striking work.
However, Samir Phadnis, spokesperson for the ICPA, said in Mumbai: “Many pilots received a text message on their cellphones from the general manager, operations, of AI on Friday about the imposition of Esma if they did not return to duty by 5 pm.” Rishabh Kapur, general secretary, ICPA, said, “We are demanding a CBI inquiry into the corruption prevalent in Air India. After the merger of Indian Airlines and Air India, the employees were asked to take 30-40 per cent wage cuts. Air India (international route) pilots are paid a fixed salary for flying 80 hours as per international norms. However, the (erstwhile) Indian Airlines pilots are paid by the hour. Fifty-six flights from profitable routes have been reduced which has affected the pilots’ income. Their staff benefits have been reduced considerably. The salaries are not paid on time.”