New Delhi:
Get back to work, please: a public plea from the Civil Aviation Minister to Air India pilots whose strike has lasted 4 days. At a press conference, Praful Patel promised pilots that no pay cuts would be introduced without consulting them. He also made it clear that in light of that guarantee, the pilots have no reason to skip work.
Hours later, Air India announced that the disputed allowances which are the cause of the strike will be paid to executive pilots on October 7. Pilots' salaries for September have also been deposited in their accounts.
Will this serve as the remedy for 180 pilots who've been calling in sick since Saturday? Nearly 60 non-union aircraft maintenance engineers in Delhi have threatened to join the strike on Wednesday. And junior pilots in Mumbai have announced their "moral support" for their colleagues.
The Civil Aviation minister has indicated that after all this, if pilots skip work on Wednesday, they face the prospect of disciplinary action.
With 46 flights cancelled on Tuesday, the prime minister has been monitoring the crisis. On Tuesday morning, he met with the Air India chief and ruled out the option of a lockout. On Wednesday evening, he was briefed by the Civil Aviation Minister.
The problem began when, as part of cost-cutting measures, Air India decided last week to slash special allowances for non-union, senior pilots by up to 50%. However, on the weekend, the management said it would not introduce these cuts without discussions with pilots.
Air India loses 10 crores everyday.
For now, the airline is not accepting any new bookings.