New Delhi/Mumbai, September 9
As many as 153 flights of Jet Airways, including 19 to international destinations, were cancelled on second day of the strike by pilots today as 432 of them, of the total 1,056 on rolls, stayed off duty despite the management toughening its stance on the strikers.
As the events of the day unfolded, it became clear that the government was not interested in interfering in what it considered “purely an internal issue” between the Jet Airways management and its employees.
Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal met Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, but a usually candid Patel refused to comment on what transpired between him and Goyal. Notably, the Civil Aviation secretary had spoken to the Jet management on the issue yesterday. And so far, the government appears to have stuck to a wait-and-watch approach.
Though Goyal was reportedly willing to meet the pilots, he insisted on action against them, as per the rules. “The pilots cannot hold the airlines, country and passengers to ransom… Before beginning the negotiations, the pilots should call off their agitation,” Goyal told reporters in Delhi.
Retaliating, the airline sacked three more pilots today, taking the total number of pilots sacked over the past two days to eight. Also, Goyal warned that more pilots could be sacked and legal proceedings initiated against them for causing harm to the airline and its passengers. Notably, the agitating pilots have been demanding reinstatement of two of their colleagues who were allegedly sacked for forming a union.
With no sign of an agreement, the airline also cancelled flights leaving after midnight Thursday. Passengers booked on Jet Airways were accommodated aboard its subsidiary JetLite, Kingfisher, Air India and other airlines.
Meanwhile, the striking pilots held firm on the second day of their strike.
Representatives of the pilots said in Mumbai that they have filed police complaints against doctors of Jet Airways who were sent to their homes for check-ups. The pilots said the doctors arrived at around 1 am and tried to trespass into their homes.
National Aviator Guild president Girish Kaushik held the
airline management responsible for passengers’ woes. “We just want our voice back in the company. We want back our colleagues who were sacked. It (passengers’ problems) is not due to us. We are trying to bring the situation back to normal,” Kaushik, who arrived in Delhi to meet DGCA officials, said. On imposition of ESMA, he said: “We are proceeding in an honest direction.”
Notably, at the time of filing of this report a meeting was underway between Goyal and pilots’ representatives.
Meanwhile, Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge has said Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) could be invoked against the striking pilots if the Civil Aviation Ministry recommended.
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court issued a contempt notice to the pilots’ union for continuing the strike despite an earlier order restraining them. The contempt notice was issued by Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud who sought a reply by September 14 on a petition by the airline.
