Jet pilots' body to go ahead with 'illegal' strike

Takes decision after failure of first conciliation meeting.

The National Aviators Guild (NAG), the recently formed union of Jet Airways’ pilots, has decided to go ahead with their strike if the management does not come up with any satisfactory reply by September 7. This, despite the fact that the strike would be considered illegal if the guild goes ahead with it while the conciliation meetings are on.

“The airline management has been asked by the labour commissioner to come up with a reply on the termination of pilots by September 7, 2009. If they do not come up with any satisfactory reply or do not reinstate the terminated pilots, we will go ahead with our strike,” an NAG representative said.

He made the comment after the first conciliatory meeting of the Jet Airways management and the NAG today. The meeting did not arrive at any solution.

“The airline representatives came without any explanation and asked for more time from the labour commissioner. The date for next hearing is September 14, but they have to reply by September 7,” said another representative of NAG, which has the support of over 650 pilots.

A Jet Airways release said that the labour commissioner has directed the guild not to go on strike till the conciliation meetings are on.

“The conciliation officer has directed that the NAG members cannot resort to strike or cause disruption to the operations on September 7, 2009, or thereafter, pending completion of the conciliation proceedings,” the release said.

Towards the end of July, Jet Airways had terminated the services of two senior pilots — Sam Thomas and D Balaraman — without giving any reason for the same. The guild said that they were terminated for actively taking part in forming a union. The union is demanding reinstatement of the two pilots.

The labour commissioner had called the pilots and the management for a conciliation meeting over the issue today.