By IANS,
New Delhi : Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Tuesday urged pilots to give up their agitation that entered its fourth day Tuesday, and assured them that any decision regarding wage cuts would be taken after consulting them.
Earlier in the day, Civil Aviation Secretary N.M. Nambiar Tuesday briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the continuing deadlock between the Air India management and striking pilots. Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar was present at the meeting.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had urged the civil aviation ministry Monday to ensure speedy resolution of the crisis in the cash-strapped national carrier after a section of Air India pilots went on a strike Saturday in protest against the cut in their productivity linked incentives (PLI).
“We do not want the airlines to be hijacked by pilots like the way Jet was, which had led to a lot of passenger discomfort,” a source in the PMO said late Monday. “The civil aviation minister has also been asked to ensure a speedy resolution.”
Patel stepped in Tuesday, announcing that no formal decision regarding cut in PLI had been taken.
“I urge all employees and pilots to report to work. I see no reason. The government is committed to seeing Air India flying high,” he said in an interaction with reporters.
The Air India management has agreed to consult employees before taking any decision on wage cuts, he said, adding: “The modification will be discussed with the pilots. Management has in its order has clearly said about this. Then where is the confusion?”
The minister said employees had been paid their salaries and PLI till July. “It is only that they have not got PLI for the month of August. There is no reason for any section of employees to feel aggrieved. Most categories of the employees in the airline do draw respectable salaries.”
During the day, Aviation Secretary Nambiar met representatives of other airlines asking them not to raise fares in light of the crisis and sought cooperation to accommodate stranded Air India passengers.
“I have asked them not to hike fares at this time, and also to accommodate those passengers whose flights were cancelled,” Nambiar told reporters here after meeting the representatives including Air India chairman Arvind Jadhav.
The strike forced the carrier to cancel 50 flights Tuesday, including nine international flights.
After the meeting, Jadhav told reporters that the cash-strapped national carrier lost over Rs.84 crore in the first three days of the strike. However, in a statement Monday night, he denied any possibility of a lockout in Air India.
At least 180 pilots have reported sick in the past three days. The airline has increased the PLI paid to its employees from Rs.1,000 crore to Rs.1,500 crore in the past two years, Jadhav said.
“We have deputed additional staff including senior officials of the ranks of general managers across various airports to ensure the passengers are shifted to other airlines’ flights,” he said, adding: “We have also opened special cash counters for refunding tickets.”
The airline has also suspended booking tickets for the next 15 days.
Talks between the senior executive pilots and Jadhav had ended inconclusively Monday.