New Delhi:
Air India's striking pilots have called off their 58-day-long strike. In a statement, the Indian Pilots' Guild - the body that represents the striking pilots - said they were now "commencing the process of restoring normalcy".
The decision to end the strike was announced by the Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) after a meeting of its managing committee in Mumbai.
"We the pilots of Air India and members of the Indian Pilots Guild, on the intervention of Justice Reva Khetrapal of the Delhi High Court have started the procedure to resume work," an IPG statement issued after the meeting said.
It said that, as directed by the High Court, the IPG looked forward to negotiations with the Air India management on all pending issues in the presence of the Chief Labour Commissioner.
"We sincerely hope that the Air India management and the Civil Aviation Ministry will be as sincere on their part. On this understanding, we are commencing the process of restoring normalcy of operations," said IPG General Secretary EA Kapadia.
Earlier on Tuesday, the striking pilots assured the Delhi High Court that they would call off their agitation immediately. Appearing for the pilots, senior advocate Geeta Luthra told Justice Reva Khetrapal that the pilots would immediately call off the strike and join their respective duties within 48 hours.
The pilots' decision to end the strike came after the Air India management assured the court that it would "sympathetically" consider their grievances. "The Air India management shall sympathetically consider the grievances of pilots, including the aspects of reinstatement of those pilots whose service has been terminated consequent to this strike," the judge said.
"Serious effort has been made by this court to settle the dispute. Counsel for both the parties have assured this court that they will be extending full corporation in this regard to their respective client," Justice Khetrapal said while disposing of the plea of the striking pilots.
The court also told the pilots and Air India management to appear before the concilliation officer, Chief Labour Commissioner N.K. Prasad, on July 5 at 4.30 p.m.
The court posted the matter for July 9 to submit the report by concilliation officer.
Air India pilots owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) have been on strike for nearly two months. On Monday, they moved the court saying that the members were ready to resume their services if Air India adopted a more human nature and was ready to discuss their grievances.
About 440 pilots struck work May 7 against the Air India management's move to train pilots from the erstwhile Indian Airlines in the merged entity on the soon-to-be-inducted Boeing-787 Dreamliner. Air India and Indian Airlines merged into a single entity in 2007.