Irresponsible,not common workmen: HC to pilots

This was opposed by Lalit Bhasin,who appeared for the Air India.

If you dont like the heat in the kitchen,get out of it but dont spoil the broth. This was the Delhi High Courts message to Air India pilots,who have challenged an order restraining them from continuing their illegal strike by reporting sick.

Incensed over the irresponsible action of the pilots,who appeared before the court under the umbrella of Indian Pilots Guild,a Division Bench of Justices S K Kaul and Rajiv Shakdher said the pilots could have genuine grievances but bringing an already dilapidated public utility institution to its knees in this manner was completely unacceptable. Fixing Thursday for pronouncing its verdict on the IPGs appeal against the injunction order,the Bench said: You (pilots) are not common workmen,who are in penury and starving.

The IPG had come to the Division Bench after a single-judge Bench had on May 9 restrained the pilots from continuing their strike over the rescheduling of Boeing 787 Dreamliner training.

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Appearing for the IPG,advocate Dushyant Dave said the order was passed ex parte even though the civil court lacked jurisdiction since the matter pertained to an industrial dispute. We are willing to come back to work if the court directs and the management assures it will not send the second batch of erstwhile Indian Airlines on the Dreamliner training, he said.

This was opposed by Lalit Bhasin,who appeared for the Air India. The ratio of 1:1 for sending both sections of pilots for the training has been upheld by the Supreme Court and we cannot act against this undertaking, he said. The court found substance in Bhasins reply.

The Bench sought to know from the IPG counsel if they admitted they were on a strike. Dave said they were not on strike but protesting in their own manner by reporting sick. This did not go down well with the Bench. On one hand,you want the court to decide the entire matter within 30 days since this is the mandate of the law but on the other,400 of your pilots dont go to work by reporting sick and claim you are not on strike, it said.

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