Air India pilots on hunger strike over training spat

[c46r]

Eleven pilots at Air India on Sunday began a hunger strike, it was reported, in the latest development in a row over training for Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner.
Management at Air India fired 101 pilots after 440 of them went on strike from May 8 in protest over a move to prioritise pilots from Indian Airlines, which merged with Air India in 2007, for Dreamliner training.
The hunger strikers are demanding that the dismissed pilots, who were all members of the Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG), be re-instated in their jobs, according to Indian news service IANS.
"Eleven pilots belonging to IPG are sitting on an indefinite hunger strike from today. Our protest is only for the reinstatement of our sacked colleagues and for the reputation of our union. We want to bring the strike to an end as soon as possible," Rohit Kapahi, committee member of IPG, told IANS.

On June 6, India's Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh called on all striking pilots to resume work, saying that sacked workers would be reinstated on a case-by-case basis.
"We are not waiting for them for ever. We earlier asked them to come back and said that no one will be victimised. We had even given a chance to sacked pilots that they can also come back and we will take them back on a case-to-case basis," the minister told IANS.
The pilots dispute comes at a time when Air India is reportedly haemorrhaging money. According to media reports, the airline has accumulated losses of over INR200bn (US$3.76bn) since its tie-up with Indian Airlines, and has seen repeated employee strikes due to delayed salary payments.
Earlier this year, planes were also grounded after oil companies declined to deliver fuel over non-payment of fees.

Air India pilots on hunger strike over training spat - Transport - ArabianBusiness.com (http://www.arabianbusiness.com/air-india-pilots-on-hunger-strike-over-training-spat-463344.html)

[VIMANMAN]

Wow...

Reading about the AI pilots Hunger Strike has got me Famished...

Gotta go make a sandwich....

[BOAC]

'Indian Take-away' perhaps?

[leftseatview]

While the real underprivilaged are going on with there existence,the urban middle class seems to have hit upon the idea of taking there outlandish demands to the streets.Facebook revoloutions can only be afforded by those who can bicker over what a/c to fly,rather than be thankful that they have a job at all.

[vctenderness]

How much sympathy will pilots get on 'hunger strike' in a country with so much real poverty and hunger amongst the population?

I don't think they have really thought this one through.

[aterpster]

Maybe they can get jobs in Apple, HP, Dell, et al tech support.

[BN2A]

Perhaps they use the same company as my lot for their crew meals????

:yuk:

[jez d]

Clearly, BALPA have been missing a trick.

Extrapolating the idea, perhaps Jim McAuslan could go on sleep strike until the FTL shenanigans are sorted to everyone's satisfaction.

I'll go and get my nightgown...

[WASALOADIE]

Loss of weight = fuel savings

[CafeClub]

The hunger strike is used in India to convey a sense of moral high ground as much as draw attention to an issue. Made most explicit and famous through the actions of Mahatma Gandhi, and used since then to "shame" people into activity: witness the recent anti-corruption drive and Anna Hazare's use of it (and the immediate sympathy/respect it commanded).

What it says about the spoilt children that play at being pilots in AI is something else entirely. :mad:

[bavarian-buddy]

At least they have bigger balls than some european pilots... :}

[Flightmech]

I know, because I'm in dispute with my employer about training, I'll starve myself, that'll teach 'em?:confused:

[captjns]

Is that hunger strike for 48 hour measured in Indian time?:}

[captjns]

Let see what we have here. A bunch of spoiled brats don’t get to play with the new toys, so they call sick.

Management finally grow a pair and sack a bunch on self proclaimed aviators… probably making the skies safer for mankind.

Then management want to make nice to their children by rescinding the sacking order for those off the property should the rest of the miscreants, by the miracle of the Sky God, all of a sudden become healthy and return to work.

But the children still want to play with the new toys, thus the so-called hunger strike.

Air India Express is advertising for pilots, with a grandiose plan of hiring expats to get their 737 fleet back into the skies. Before being granted an audience with Air India Express, they require volumes of paperwork to be completed with the submission of documents dating back to before the 17th of December, 1903.

I’m sure by now many realize Jet Airways has terminated contracts among most B737 expats. These pilots are aware of the prospects of remaining in India by matriculating over to Air India Express. Convenient… right??? Well not really, as the Gebronies at AI EX won’t invite pilots currently in India who are in possession of current FATAs, current medicals issued by IAM BLR, and work visas,

Now for the news flash. AI EX has plan nor time line in place for hiring crews or class dates as they are hoping the sick-out by guess who??? will be settled before. Does it get anymore dysfunctional than this?

[Fish Head on Final]

Ha ha ha Good luck
Going for Indian

[mutt]

How does someone who has chosen to attempt to kill themselves through food starvation, continue to hold a Class 1 medical based on their mental health?

[flying.monkeyz]

These 11 pilots aught to be sacked too.

[Baron 58P]

:):):) This thread cannot be true! It has to be a shaggy dog story....

[VijayMallya]

@BOAC :D:D


You air India fools will not find any sympathy here. You aren't pilots. No professional pride. Just plain babus...

[Capn Bloggs]

Glad to see support for the race to the bottom is alive and well on Prune... :cool:

[edisontrent]

I say that they should cancel their 787 orders, everyone would be back to work in no time! No plane, no spat. End of story. :cool:

[captjns]

Can the bloody lot. Cancel their airmen certificates, valid or otherwise:hmm:. Let the airline resemble a grape left unpicked to wither in the to fall of the vine.

[SLATS_EXTEND]

You know what they call Indian food in India?

Food.

[ironbutt57]

So now I tell my kids the modernized version of my fathers admonishment when I failed to clear my dinner plate..."think of all the starving people (now PILOTS) in India who have not"....

[RAD_ALT_ALIVE]

This 'industrial' action could explain the reason behind the 'mistake' I saw an Air India B777 crew make in Shanghai Pudong a little while ago - they must've been preoccupied with the planning of the hunger strike, or were hypoglycemic as a result of an in-flight dress-rehearsal...

The big shiny bird was taxying towards the east terminal complex after landing. Anyone who has been to PVG knows that the terminal complex (any one of them) is a very big, brightly lit, hard-to-miss part of the airport. Taxying towards the eastern terminal complex in particular highlights the black-hole that is the southern end of Rwy 16/34, in stark contrast to the terminal/apron area.

Anyhow, our erstwhile crew were instructed to taxy via 'F' to 'F8', but instead of turning towards the brightly lit area (added clue being the large number of aircraft parked at the impressive, big building with many aerobridges), I watched as the 777 turned south away from the terminal complex and into the black hole!

Shortly after, an embarrassed-sounding voice admitted the error and asked for guidance (?!) to the terminal.

Maybe that event also goes a long way to understanding why Air India management decided to give the even-newer-and-more-shiny birds to the Indian Airlines pilots...:ugh::rolleyes:

[Capt. Inop]

Having been involved with their B777 ops for 4 years i could belive that.

They kicked out all the knowledgeable people, and what's left shouln't be flying.

[de facto]

How much would 11 B787 Plastic models with rolling boogies cost?:E

These idiots should be sacked on the spot,bunch of crying babies.
The airline should confiscate their severance pay and give it to local charity to feed some kids.

[Capt. Inop]

These idiots should be sacked on the spot,bunch of crying babies.
The airline should confiscate their severance pay and give it to local charity to feed some kids.

Yeah, but due to corruption its like throwing your money into a big black hole.

[Analyser]

check this out:D


Is It fAIR INDIA ...? - YouTube (http://youtu.be/HgADN-ooJDk)

[Jetjock330]

Hitler is upset too about the strike, strike!

[TRPL7]

Air India does not need vijay mallyas sympathies. HA a pot calling a kettle black! First pay up all the income tax dues to the country Mr Mallya! Then we'll talk!
Mr Mallya knows what I am talking about! For the rest of the world, kingfisher deducted income tax from salaries of it's employees but conveniently did not pay the treasury for more than two years! :D:D Any guesses what he did with the money? Any other country he would be behind bars! Here he is in the equivalent of house of Lords!
Again, air India does not need your sympathies Mr. Mallya!

[Thinktank]

The pilots in Air India are some of the best this country has and rushing to replace them is going to cause a major safety hazard within the aviation sector. The pilots that are running the airline for the past 50 odd days are heavily overworked which again is another safety hazard. While we are all ready to hold the pilots responsible for everything that wrong at this point we fail to observe the lack of interest shown by the Air India management to resolve the ongoing issues.
The pilots are exposing the extent of corruption in Air India and Infact the improper use to which the taxpayers money is put to. As concerned citizens we should realize that the corruption and beauracracy in Air India is a mirror image of exactly what is wrong with our government and it's time we started holding the right people responsible. Supporting the pilots movement can only help in the betterment of the airline.
I for one empathize with the pilots of Air India and am glad that someone had the guts to stand up to and question authority.

[Aamaadmi]

It has put a lot of pressure on the govt: management is rattled ; I heard one director has been asked to go on a long leave

[Thinktank]

Everyone in this country seems to make the pilots of Air India out to be nothing more than a bunch of spoilt brats . In lieu of this I would like to bring to your notice that the striking pilots and the other employees of Air India have been working with delayed salaries of 6months over a period of
Most of these pilots have taken loans of upto 25 Lakhs which require them to make monthly EMI payments which they have been unable to do. Others have young families that they need to feed. I would like to know how many of you would work for a period of 6 months for free.
The losses Air India has incurred is a direct result of the poor decision making skills of the management and the inherent corruption in the airline and has nothing to do with the pilots. It is unfair that the employees should have to face the repercussions of something they haven't done.
As far as 'doing more than the others, and expecting less' is concerned the pilots have shown exemplary and extraordinary loyalty towards Air India the past couple of years living off minimal pay.

[jet_737ng]

U think its really VJM :ok:.

[captjns]

No excuse for childish behavior just because one does not get to play with the new toys.:=

Only schmucks work for free:}. Definitely not very professional or dignified to the profession:=. Especially one owned by the government.:yuk:

Doesn't seem those on the sick out or on strike or what ever you want to call it are trying to get their plight out to the public with either news print, or informational picketing. Perhaps such actions are beneath their caste?:rolleyes:

The pilots in Air India are some of the best this country has and rushing to replace them is going to cause a major safety hazard within the aviation sector

This statement, typical, is tantamount to "OH MY THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!!":eek::eek:. Facts and figures, need to be provided to substantiate statements like this. Many airlines round the world operate with qualified crews, be they replacement or additional staff to the airline without accidents nor incidents.

[dlcmdrx]

Im not familiar with the aviation situation in that part of the world. So can anyone explian why the hatred to those pilots of that company?? what have they done in the past?? or is this pilots forum turning into bean counters forum????

[tvarad]

dlcmdrx, the airline industry in India is quite complicated but let me take a stab at it. In their prior avatar, Air India and Indian Airlines were government run with the former serving international routes and the latter serving the domestic sector. In the face of increasing competition from private airlines, they were both merged under the Air India brand.

To make a long story short, both were run along extremely bureaucratic lines and when they merged, a turf war erupted between their erstwhile employees and, amongst other grievances, this one involves who gets to fly the 787. And the fact that the politicians run the airline like their personal fiefdom (the former civil aviation minister's daughter had a A319 flying to her destination switched to an A320 in the last minute because there were not enough first class seats to accommodate her retinue) makes the twists and turns in the sordid goings-on worthy of a Bollywood pot-boiler.

I would like to sit back and enjoy all of them committing hara-kiri, but the fact that my tax money keeps this manger, which wouldn't survive a day in it's present form if it were privatized, under life-support makes it more of a tear-jerker for me than a Akira Kurosawa movie.

[TRPL7]

No, at least I can sock him in the eye! Vented every ones feeling onto him. He cam now figure out who is using his name on the forum too! At least the impersonators will get it up theirs :)

[leftseatview]

No one is sympathetic because people realise that this is an ill timed and ill convceived post merger turf war,now being sought to be made to appear like a fight for legitimate dues (salaries)

[Coireall]

The High Court in Delhi has told Air India management to resume talks with their striking pilots. The pilots union has agreed to call off the strike and all sacked strikers are to be reinstated within 48 hours.
So nothing changes in this dysfunctional organization. :ugh:

Air India pilots call off two-month strike | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/04/airindia-strike-idUSL3E8I413M20120704)

[de facto]

Others have young families that they need to feed. I would like to know how many of you would work for a period of 6 months for free.

Not many i would think especially if they have families to feed.
There are many airlines hiring in the world,move your ass and stop bitching.:rolleyes:

[Thinktank]

Guess the air india pilots are victorious afterall!!

[Coireall]

Guess the Air India pilots are victorious after all!! I understood this strike was about access to the 787 ahead of the former Indian Airlines pilots. Therefore victory can not be claimed until they have secured the right to fly the 787 ahead of the former Indian Airlines pilots. We need to wait and see what happens after they return to work and resume talks to Air India management.:=