Agitating Jet pilots put onus on management to end stand-off

Taking a tough stand, Jet Airways pilots' union spearheading the agitation said there could be no progress to end the deadlock unless two of their sacked colleagues are reinstated.

Taking a tough stand, Jet Airways pilots' union spearheading the agitation on Wednesday said there could be no progress to end the deadlock unless two of their sacked colleagues are reinstated.

HT Image

"Our stand remains the same. The management must take back the two sacked pilots unconditionally. We have done everything to resolve the issue through talks but to no avail. The ball is now entirely in the management's court," Pilots' Union National Aviator's Guild (NAG) President Girish Kaushik told reporters in Mumbai.

Responding to Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal's statement to a television channel that the pilots were blackmailing the airline and holding it to ransom, Kaushik said it was the other way round.

"Jet management is blackmailing us by telling us that you disband the union and we will take back the two sacked pilots. This is not at all acceptable to us." The problem could be resolved within a split of second, Kaushik said, adding all the management needs to do is to reinstate the two sacked pilots.

Asked how long the stand-off was likely to continue, the NAG chief said it depended entirely on the management. Kaushik said if the management was willing to talk to us, then the union will not settle for anybody less than Chairman Naresh Goyal.