SARS-phobic A-I pilots return to work

Friday, 02 May 2003, 19:30 IST
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MUMBAI: India's flag carrier Air-India (A-I) Friday began limping back to normal with its pilots calling off a weeklong strike over SARS that had virtually grounded the airline. The Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) called off its strike late Thursday after the airline management persuaded several members of the union to leave its fold and return to work. Many were promised promotions to the cadre of executive pilots with higher pay and perks, A-I officials told IANS here. With 35 members of the guild returning to work Thursday and more showing signs of doing so in the next few days, the IPG was forced to call off its strike Thursday evening. Pilots refusing to fly to countries affected by the SARS outbreak had called the strike. They demanded that A-I issue certificates stating that the crews accompanying them had not flown to SARS-affected destinations. The killer pneumonia SARS has claimed nearly 400 lives worldwide, with East and Southeast Asia bearing the brunt of the viral disease. Labour Minister Sahib Singh Verma reportedly played a crucial role in persuading the A-I pilots to call off their strike. It is still not clear if Verma provided any assurances that the airline would not act against leaders of the IPG. The A-I management de-recognised the guild on Monday and withdrew from all negotiations with it. A-I officials are keen to crack down on the pilots to prevent a recurrence of the strike. Senior officials have been quoted as saying that pilots would be made to give individual undertakings of good behaviour in order to be allowed to join duty. Earlier the airline had called upon pilots of Indian origin in Singapore and other countries to accept short-term contracts to fly for A-I. During the strike, A-I spokesman Jitendra Bhargava had charged that the pilots' stir was a ruse for higher emoluments. According to him, the pilots were demanding a $35 increase in flying allowance. Conceding the demand would push the ailing airline deeper into the red, he said.
Source: IANS