The Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) has accused Air India management of retracting on its commitment and failing to reciprocate the “goodwill gesture” of the pilots who called off their nearly two-month long strike and joined back duties Wednesday.
In a statement late Friday, the IPG said that in their talks with the conciliating officer and Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) N.K. Prasad, and other officials, the Air India management expressed its “inability” to make any commitment on reinstating pilots or addressing issues raised by the pilots.
“They (Air India management) requested the CLC (Chief Labour Commissioner) for more time and failed to reciprocate IPG’s goodwill gesture of calling off the agitation,” IPG general secretary E.A. Kapadia said.
He added that the CLC has recorded the Air India’s stance on this matter and would report the same to the Delhi High Court at a hearing scheduled Monday (July 9).
The pilots having allegiance to IPG had called off their stir after the Air India management Tuesday assured the Delhi High Court that it would “sympathetically” consider their grievances.
As per the high court’s directives, the representatives of the de-recognised IPG were to meet Air India officials and the CLC to discuss reinstatement of the sacked pilots and resolution of their grievances.
The impasse notwithstanding, the pilots have not threatened to restart their agitation and would await further developments in the court Monday.