Jet pilots union to meet mgmt tomorrow

Jet Airways pilot's union, National Aviators Guild (NAG) has said that it would meet with the air-carrier's management in New Delhi tomorrow to hammer out a solution to the current crisis.

"We will have conciliation talks with the management at the Labour Commissioner's office in New Delhi tomorrow," the Guild's President Capt Girish Kaushik told reporters here today after a long meeting with Guild members.

Kaushik, however, reiterated his stand on the reinstatement of the pilots adding "the problem would be solved once all the four boys (pilots) are taken on board."

"I had a telephonic call with the Chief Labour Commissioner on the issue this morning and he has assured me that justice would be given," he said.

"If that is done, I will ask my pilots to get onto their jobs within 30 seconds," Kaushik added.

The Jet Airways management had terminated two of its senior pilots last month allegedly for forming a trade union. But the issue snow-balled into a major controversy with the pilots terming the sackings 'an act of vendetta' and the union demanding the reinstatement of the two pilots.

It called for a strike on September 8 and the issue was referred for conciliation to the Regional Labour Commissioner, who ruled that the pilots could not go on a strike and the management could not sack any pilots, pending conciliation proceedings.