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The strike is well over the 48[SUP]th[/SUP] day.Aviation minister nudges AI to take a tough stand on strike
MUMBAI: Ajit Singh, the Union civil aviation minister , seems to have taken a tough stance on the on-going Air India pilots' strike. Here is why. With the burden of a government bailout for Air India weighing on him, Singh has managed to nudge the airline into taking a firm stance in dealing with the Air India strike.
This is in complete contrast to what happened last year, when the aviation ministry , under Vayalar Ravi, agreed to most of the demands by ICPA, a union of pilots affiliated to Indian Airlines. The hardening stance of the ministry and Air India - and their threat to sack nearly 340 agitating pilots at the loss-making Air India - has striking pilots of Air India alleging that the Indian Airline faction of Air India are now calling the shots.
Only last year, pilots from the Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) - a union of pilots affiliated to Air India - alleged that the management treated with kid gloves a faction of pilots belonging to the erstwhile Indian Airlines, who had grounded the carrier for 12 days. In May 2011, the ministry of civil aviation had signed an agreement with the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), a union affiliated to the then Indian Airlines.
The 600 pilots affiliated to ICPA had gone on a strike over issues of pay parity with their colleagues in Air India. The ministry, which de-recognised IPG on the first day of May 2012 and sacked nearly 100 pilots in 37 days of agitation (with a threat to terminate services of 340 pilots more), is now in no mood to initiate a dialogue with agitating pilots till the time they rejoin flying.
The changed stance is glaring as the same ministry along with Air India had initially refused to reinstate the sacked pilots in May last year, when the Indian Airlines pilots were on strike. The ministry buckled under pressure by signing an agreement with ICPA, agreeing not only to recognise the agitating union, but also taking back the sacked office bearers of ICPA with immediate effect. The management also referred the terms and conditions of pay parity to the Dharmadhikari Committee that was appointed to blueprint a plan for the merged Air India.
A copy of the minutes of a meeting of the ICPA office bearers, including the then general secretary Rishabh Kapur, with three top-level civil aviation ministry officials , including joint secretary Prashant Shukul in Delhi between May 4 and 6, which brought the strike to an end, was reviewed by ET. The ministry officials agreed that in lieu of withdrawal of agitation the Air India management will revoke orders regarding suspension/termination of employees immediately and will also recognise the union with immediate effect once the strike is withdrawn. It also agreed to refer terms of pay and other allowances to the Dharamadhikari Committee.
Though the minutes state that the demand for a monthly grant of $1,600 per month will be referred to the same committee, the Air India management went ahead and gave a pay hike of as much as $1,200 to ICPA pilots in November 2011. The employees of Air India questioned the ministry's involvement in the whole matter and argued as to why the ministry couldn't intervene now when IPG is striking, the same way it intervened and brought the warring management and pilots on the same page. "The nodal ministry does not enter into agreements with striking unions. Only the labour ministry can do so.
Aviation minister nudges AI to take a tough stand on strike - The Economic Times
It has put a whole lot of passengers to great inconvenience and allowed other airlines to manipulate fares to make a killing.
It has tarnished the image of India, it being a national carrier.
Are the pilots justified in their demands?
Are the pilots justified for going on strike?
Is the Govt and the Minister correct in taking the stand the Govt and the Minister has taken?
If the Govt blinks, is there any guarantee that the pilots will not go another strike another day as they have been doing over the years and the Govt blinking first every time?
I heard the Minister on TV that the Air India pilots are the highest paid pilots in the world and this could not be refuted by the representative of the Indian Pilots Guild on that show.