Talks between Jet Airways, pilots fail again

Mumbai: The pilots of Jet Airways on Saturday said they would continue with their agitation after another round of talks with the airline management remained inconclusive.

The pilots said they were open to further deliberations with the management later in the evening but there was no word yet on the decision of the management. The carrier, in the meanwhile, had to cancel 180 flights since morning.

Those at the talks from Jet Airways included executive director Saroj Dutta and chief executive officer Hafiz Ali, while the members of the newly formed National Aviators Guild, Girish Kaushik and Sam Thomas, represented the pilots.

"We're trying to come to an amicable understanding to resolve the crisis. We have noted the views of the management," Kaushik told reporters here after the 90-minute meeting.

He said they were trying to resolve the issue as fast as possible, pending which their agitation will continue.

The pilots want the reinstatement of four colleagues who, they said, were sacked because of their role in forming a new union to represent their interests. They also want the airline management to recognise the new union.

The two sides held negotiations over eight hours in New Delhi Friday in the presence of Chief Labour Commissioner S.K. Mukhopadhyay. But neither side gave up its stand.

Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP from Maharashtra Sanjay Nirupam, who were among those who sought to mediate between the two sides, had said the stand-off would end within 48 hours.

During the five-day impasse, 1,058 flights were cancelled, causing inconvenience to thousands of passengers, especially during the first two days of the agitation--when the pilots started reporting "sick".

The airline management had also moved the Bombay High Court, which passed an order on Wednesday, restraining the pilots from resorting to any form of agitation. Subsequently, the airline also filed a contempt petition, slated to be heard on Monday.

The government sought to intervene in a limited manner when Home Secretary G K Pillai asked the states to examine if they can invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act.