New Delhi:
The ongoing strike by the Jet Airways pilots has now drawn the attention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The PM on Thursday enquired about the situation as ground staff urged pilots to call off their agitation.
Coming to the rescue of the management and the airline's chief Naresh Goyal the ground staff members said: "We are with Naresh Goel in this time of crisis and want the pilots to end the strike," one of the staff members said.
They also said that the strike by pilots is putting their future at risk.
Meanwhile, pilots have now taken their battle with the management to the Madras High court. The high court has accepted a petition by NAG against engagement of foreign pilots by Jet. The pilots say Jet should not be allowed to hire foreign pilots, which is part of the management's back-up plan. The Madras court has asked the government and the Jet management to respond to this.
The DGCA guideline (Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorisation) allows appointment of foreign pilots in the event of shortage of experienced Indian pilots.
The pilots' union alleges that the management is misusing this guideline to fire Indian pilots and appoint foreign pilots. The court says it will not intervene in the strike or termination of Jet pilots because conciliation is on in Mumbai.
The Jet Airways and the DGCA will file response to the HC notice by September 16.
Earlier in the day, the Jet Airways' management and the striking pilots were called by the Central Labour Commissioner in Delhi for a conciliatory meeting. However, the president of the National Aviators Guild (NAG), Girish Kaushik, has reportedly said that the union will not attend the meeting.
Later, reacting to the court orders on Jet pilots' strike, Kaushik sad: "The court has said we should not go on an illegal strike. This is not a strike or illegal."
I only wish the High Court tells these people that you have illegally removed these four people, he added.
In an appeal to the pilots, Kaushik said that pressure is not the method of solving the problem.
Reacting on Jet Airways chief Naresh Goyal's terrorist statement, he said: "I will not belittle him. On the one hand he says they are my children and on the other he says we are terrorists. Let him decide what we are."
If we have to give certificates we will give certificates, he added.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam will speak on behalf of the pilots. Nirupam had written a letter to Jet on September 2, asking the airline to reinstate the pilots and let them form a guild.
In another development, the ground staff and engineering department of Jet Airways will march to the hotel where the pilots are housed in protest against the strike.
The pilots' strike entered the third day on Thursday. Fifty per cent of pilots have reported sick. The airlines put out a list of 234 flights cancelled. But despite speculations of a solution in the Jet management and pilots' standoff, pilots show no signs of relenting.
One hundred and ninety seven domestic and 37 international flights have been cancelled until Thursday midnight.
Over 14,000 passengers are suffering and today at least for now it seems like there is no change in the situation.
The mass sick leave plan continues. The pilots are now unwilling to come on camera with any response or reaction or statement, possibly because the Bombay High Court has served them the contempt notice.
Pilots face contempt petition
While the strike by Jet pilots entered the third day on Thursday, a contempt petition was filed against them for defying the Bombay High Court ruling asking them not to halt work.
According to a spokesperson, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud of the Bombay High Court has directed a contempt notice to be issued to the National Aviators Guild (NAG). It will be heard on Monday.
On Tuesday, a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice A. M. Khanwailkar had passed an order restraining the NAG from going on an illegal strike under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
In their ruling, the judges said that the petitioner - Jet Airways was providing a Public Utility Service as per the I.D. Act. Accordingly, the judges restrained the pilots' union from resorting to an illegal strike.
Goyal meets Patel
On Wednesday Jet Airways chief Naresh Goyal met with Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. The Jet owner is parked in Delhi trying everything possible to end the pilot strike.
"I hope there will be some solution," said Naresh Goyal, Jet Air chief.
Goyal and his team say they're willing to negotiate, but first the 400 pilots on strike have to return to work. Jet management warns that they will not hesitate to hire expat or retired pilots to replace current staff, if it comes to that.
Two hundred twenty six domestic and 20 international flights were cancelled on Wednesday.
"We have given 40 days to the management to solve this. Now when the management has said that they have taken care of the passengers, how can they say the public is being affected," said Sam Thomas, one of the sacked pilots.
Jet sets up crisis management centre
With the problems deepening, Jet has set up a crisis management centre, its job is to try and accommodate as many of its passengers as possible.
The pressure on jet seems to be from all sides: the pilots, the passengers and now the government which wants the strike to end. But for now it is not willing to intervene since NDTV has learnt that Jet pilots are in touch with Air India pilots on this matter.
The Aviation Ministry wants an early resolution but they are not keen on intervening, they don't want to be seen as taking sides. After all the government too owns an airline. Air India and they too face similar problems.
But it's an issue that has many considering the future of unions in the corporate sector. Most private airlines refused to comment on issue but experts feel this strike is a test case for the aviation industry.
"How can they not let us form a union, it's our Constitutional right and there is no question of disbanding it," said the sacked pilot.
The negotiations are on and the waiting has begun to see who will blink first. And now the defiant pilots are also feeling the heat.
Coming to the rescue of the management and the airline's chief Naresh Goyal the ground staff members said: "We are with Naresh Goel in this time of crisis and want the pilots to end the strike," one of the staff members said.
They also said that the strike by pilots is putting their future at risk.
Meanwhile, pilots have now taken their battle with the management to the Madras High court. The high court has accepted a petition by NAG against engagement of foreign pilots by Jet. The pilots say Jet should not be allowed to hire foreign pilots, which is part of the management's back-up plan. The Madras court has asked the government and the Jet management to respond to this.
The DGCA guideline (Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorisation) allows appointment of foreign pilots in the event of shortage of experienced Indian pilots.
The pilots' union alleges that the management is misusing this guideline to fire Indian pilots and appoint foreign pilots. The court says it will not intervene in the strike or termination of Jet pilots because conciliation is on in Mumbai.
The Jet Airways and the DGCA will file response to the HC notice by September 16.
Earlier in the day, the Jet Airways' management and the striking pilots were called by the Central Labour Commissioner in Delhi for a conciliatory meeting. However, the president of the National Aviators Guild (NAG), Girish Kaushik, has reportedly said that the union will not attend the meeting.
Later, reacting to the court orders on Jet pilots' strike, Kaushik sad: "The court has said we should not go on an illegal strike. This is not a strike or illegal."
I only wish the High Court tells these people that you have illegally removed these four people, he added.
In an appeal to the pilots, Kaushik said that pressure is not the method of solving the problem.
Reacting on Jet Airways chief Naresh Goyal's terrorist statement, he said: "I will not belittle him. On the one hand he says they are my children and on the other he says we are terrorists. Let him decide what we are."
If we have to give certificates we will give certificates, he added.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam will speak on behalf of the pilots. Nirupam had written a letter to Jet on September 2, asking the airline to reinstate the pilots and let them form a guild.
In another development, the ground staff and engineering department of Jet Airways will march to the hotel where the pilots are housed in protest against the strike.
The pilots' strike entered the third day on Thursday. Fifty per cent of pilots have reported sick. The airlines put out a list of 234 flights cancelled. But despite speculations of a solution in the Jet management and pilots' standoff, pilots show no signs of relenting.
One hundred and ninety seven domestic and 37 international flights have been cancelled until Thursday midnight.
Over 14,000 passengers are suffering and today at least for now it seems like there is no change in the situation.
The mass sick leave plan continues. The pilots are now unwilling to come on camera with any response or reaction or statement, possibly because the Bombay High Court has served them the contempt notice.
Pilots face contempt petition
While the strike by Jet pilots entered the third day on Thursday, a contempt petition was filed against them for defying the Bombay High Court ruling asking them not to halt work.
According to a spokesperson, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud of the Bombay High Court has directed a contempt notice to be issued to the National Aviators Guild (NAG). It will be heard on Monday.
On Tuesday, a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice A. M. Khanwailkar had passed an order restraining the NAG from going on an illegal strike under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
In their ruling, the judges said that the petitioner - Jet Airways was providing a Public Utility Service as per the I.D. Act. Accordingly, the judges restrained the pilots' union from resorting to an illegal strike.
Goyal meets Patel
On Wednesday Jet Airways chief Naresh Goyal met with Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. The Jet owner is parked in Delhi trying everything possible to end the pilot strike.
"I hope there will be some solution," said Naresh Goyal, Jet Air chief.
Goyal and his team say they're willing to negotiate, but first the 400 pilots on strike have to return to work. Jet management warns that they will not hesitate to hire expat or retired pilots to replace current staff, if it comes to that.
Two hundred twenty six domestic and 20 international flights were cancelled on Wednesday.
"We have given 40 days to the management to solve this. Now when the management has said that they have taken care of the passengers, how can they say the public is being affected," said Sam Thomas, one of the sacked pilots.
Jet sets up crisis management centre
With the problems deepening, Jet has set up a crisis management centre, its job is to try and accommodate as many of its passengers as possible.
The pressure on jet seems to be from all sides: the pilots, the passengers and now the government which wants the strike to end. But for now it is not willing to intervene since NDTV has learnt that Jet pilots are in touch with Air India pilots on this matter.
The Aviation Ministry wants an early resolution but they are not keen on intervening, they don't want to be seen as taking sides. After all the government too owns an airline. Air India and they too face similar problems.
But it's an issue that has many considering the future of unions in the corporate sector. Most private airlines refused to comment on issue but experts feel this strike is a test case for the aviation industry.
"How can they not let us form a union, it's our Constitutional right and there is no question of disbanding it," said the sacked pilot.
The negotiations are on and the waiting has begun to see who will blink first. And now the defiant pilots are also feeling the heat.
