In some relief for Air India, the striking pilots have on July 3, assured the Delhi High Court that they would call off their 58 day protest immediately. Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra, who appeared for the pilots told justice Reva Khetrapal that the pilots would immediately call off the strike and will be joining their respective duties within 48 hours.
Reports say that the striking pilots will have to give joining reports and the terminated pilots will have to give a ‘willingness to join duty’ report to the Air India management within 48 hours. The decision by the pilots to end the strike came after the court assured them that it would ‘sympathetically’ consider their grievances.
The judge said, “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”. While disposing the plea of the striking pilots, Jstice Khetrapal 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”.
The pilots and the Air India management have been told by the court to appear before the concilliation officer, chief Labour Commissioner NK Prasad on July 5 at 4:30 pm.
