New Delhi:
It's the eighth day of the Air India pilots' strike and neither the pilots nor the government is blinking yet. That means that passengers remain stranded at airports across the country and estimated loss of over 150 crore for the national carrier.
Here are the top 10 developments over the last eight days of the strike.
1) Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said in the Lok Sabha today that the government cannot keep pouring public money into Air India, and this is their last chance. Mr Singh's response came after the Parliament witnessed uproar during zero hour over the strike and the alleged comments of the Civil Aviation Minister. The opposition threatened to bring a privilege motion against Ajit Singh for speaking on policy issues on civil aviation outside the Parliament, when the House was in session. They also wanted to know what the government was doing to resolve the 8-day impasse with 71 pilots being sacked for their stir.
2) The Air India management has been handed over medical reports of the pilots, who had started the agitation by calling in sick. According to the medical summary, about 48 out of the 53 Delhi-based pilots who reported sick were not found at home. Nine out of 18 outstation pilots, who were staying at Hotel Hyatt, complained of bad stomach and backache but doctors found them medically fit.
3) Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said he was not surprised at the report. On Monday, Mr Singh made clear that while he was open to talks with "any individual" he would not talk to the striking pilots as a union; he pointed out that the Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) which is spearheading the strike has been de-recognised.
4) There are now reports that Air India is considering cancelling international flights till the crisis is over. The airline has already extended the bar on bookings for its flights to Europe, USA and the MIddle-East till Thursday.
5) Air India has put together a contingency plan for up to May 20. According to that plan, two flights to North America will continue to operate. Instead of two flights, just one flight to London will be operational. Also the daily flights to Canada, Osaka, Shanghai and Hong Kong have been cancelled.
6) While the Air India management says 250 pilots are on strike, the pilots' guild maintains that the number is above 400. The latest report issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) says that 341 Air India pilots are currently reporting "sick".
7) The Air India management has sacked a total of 76 pilots over the last six days for not reporting to work. It has also written to the DGCA asking it to cancel the licenses of 11 office bearers of the IPG whose services have been terminated. Showcause notices have been issued to these office bearers. They have been given a week to reply to the notice.
8) Air India's executive pilots, who are also part of the management, have come out in support of the striking Air India pilots. They have written a letter to the Prime Minister. Jet Airways pilots too have backed the protesting Air India pilots.
9) Sources say that the pilots are hoping that the government will meet three of their demands - take back the sacked pilots, re-recognise IPG and give them some sort of assurance that their earlier demands of a career progression would be taken care of.
10) The Air India management had moved the Supreme Court with a contempt of court plea against the on-strike pilots. Last week, the Delhi High Court declared the strike illegal. The management is of the view that the matter is now between the court and pilots. But despite all this, the pilots remain defiant.