The
Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its order on a plea by a section of Air
India pilots numbering over 200 against a single-judge order restraining them
from continuing their illegal strike by reporting sick and staging
demonstrations A two judge bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul is likely
to pronounce its order tomorrow on the plea by Indian Pilots Guild IPG
representing the pilots of original Air India the entity prior to its merger
with Indian Airlines The bench also comprising Justice Rajiv Shakdher reserved
the order on IPG s plea which contended that the single-judge s ex-parte order
restraining them from going on strike and terming it as illegal was without any
authority IGP said the Delhi high Court lacked jurisdiction on the issue as IGP
s office was in Mumbai On May 9 Justice Reva Khetrapal had restrained over 200
agitating Air India pilots from continuing their illegal strike after reporting
sick and then staging demonstrations a day after the airlines management sacked
10 pilots and derecognised their union The pilots were agitating over the
rescheduling of Boeing 787 Dreamliner training and matters relating to their
career progression under the banner of Indian Pilots Guild IPG Justice
Khetrapal issued notice to IPG and asked it to reply to a plea of Air India
management seeking court s intervention and also a restraint order against the
striking pilots The defendant no 1 IPG its members agents and its office
bearers are restrained from illegal strike The pilots are also restrained from
reporting sick holding dharnas staging demonstrations or resorting to any other
modes of strike in and outside the company s offices in Delhi and other
regional offices Justice Khetrapal had said in her order The single judge had
also said allowing such strike to continue will cause irreparable loss to the
company as well as huge inconvenience to the passengers travelling by the
national carrier Filing an injunction suit against the pilots counsel for AI
management Lalit Bhasin had termed the strike as illegal and said due to the
pilots strike the firm has been forced to cancel some of its international
flights which has resulted in extreme hardship and also inconvenience to the
passengers Moreover as a result of the cancellation of flights Air India is
facing huge financial loss of over Rs 10 crore per day he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment