Case Study On Air India Pilot Strike

AIR INDIA
Air India Pilot’s Strike (2009)
1) On 26th September, 2009, around 300 pilots of Air India reported to be sick. This was a sign of protest against the decision of the management to reduce their productivity-linked incentives (PLI) by 50 percent. This would reduce the Rs 8 lakh per month earnings of pilots by Rs 2.5 lakh.
2) Air India had to cancel 13 flights on the second day due to the agitating pilots. Air India Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav and representative of striking pilots Captain V K Bhalla hold talks. Management extents olive branch and agrees no incentive cut will be done. But no conclusion is reached.
3) On 29th September, 2009, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel issues warning that if

Air India pilot’s strike (2012)
1) On May 8, 2012, around 100 pilots went on medical leave as a mark of protest.
2) The reason why pilots of Indian Pilot’s guild went on strike was to protest the move to provide Boeing-787 training to pilots from the erstwhile Indian Airlines.
3) Later on the same day, ten agitating pilots were sacked and their union was de-recognized after 160 pilots failed to join duty.
4) Pilots put up 14 demands, they demand the reinstatement of 101 sacked colleagues.
5) On 26th May, 2012 aviation minister Ajit Singh announced that he would go ahead and hire new pilots if strike did not end.
6) AI management gives assurance to high court that it will look into the issues raised by the pilots sympathetically and strike comes to an end after 58 days, on 4th July, 2012.
7) Due to pilot’s strike Air India suffers a loss of Rs 500 crores in 45 days.

JET AIRWAYS
The momentum to 2009 strike
1) Jet airways made a strategic mistake by buying Sahara airlines. In October, 2008, Jet Airways sacks 1900 employees across all departments and categories as a measure to switch to leaner business

Chairman Naresh Goyal apologizes and reinstates all 19000 employees.
3) The employees realize their vulnerability and on 24th July, 2009, National Aviator’s guild is registered.
4) On 31st July, 2009, two senior pilots who were also the office bearers of NAG were dismissed without assigning any reason.
5) Management did not offer any response to the appeals of pilots. NAG announced strike on 24th August, 2009.
6) Over 300 pilots reported sick, 700 flights were cancelled affecting 28000 passengers.
7) A conciliation meeting under the auspices of labour commissioner on 31st August did not produce any desired result. Management was asked to provide reasons for sacking employees by September 7. A few days later Jet sacked a few more pilots and on September 9 got a contempt of court order against the striking employees.
8) The demand of the strikers was reinstatement of 2 pilots. The refusal of the management was costing it 15 crore per day.
9) Finally, a draft was worked out between Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, representatives of the pilots and Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal.
10) Operations resumed on 13th September, 2009.

KINGFISHER