Bombay High Court restrains Jet pilots from agitating

MUMBAI - The beleaguered Jet Airways got a shot in the arm when the Bombay High Court Tuesday restrained its pilots from resorting to strike, the company said here.

Jet Airways had moved a petition before the high court seeking an order restraining the National Aviators’ Guild (NAG) - a union of some Jet Airways pilots - from resorting to any form of strike.

Accepting the carrier’s contention, the Bombay High Court passed an order barring any form of strike by the pilots.

“We are expecting the written orders shortly and shall then take appropriate action in the matter,” an airlines spokesperson told IANS.

The newly-formed NAG has been asking the carrier to take back two pilots sacked last month.

NAG presidet Girish Kaushik said the guild had issued the mandatory 14-day notice to the airline, and added the sacking of the two pilots was an act of vendetta for being instrumental in starting a new union and it was totally unjustified.

The two sacked senior pilots, Balaraman and Sam Thomas, were told of termination of their service by e-mail.

The Jet spokesperson said as per the directions of the Regional Labour Commissioner (RLC), the airline has been in a conciliation process with the pilots.

The RLC has categorically stated that any strike by the pilots during pendency of the conciliation would be deemed as illegal under the Industrial Disputes Act.

After withdrawing the strike, the pilots resorted to a simulated strike by reporting sick Tuesday.

So far, 163 captains and 198 first officers reported sick, disrupting the flight schedules across the country and causing inconvenience for over 20,000 passengers.

The airline was forced to cancel 186 flights, including 32 on international routes, though it said it made efforts to help passengers by clubbing flights, accommodating them on alternate flights, rebooking, or offering full refund.