The standoff has entered into its 4th day. The main sufferers of this strike are passengers and no else. Think about the countless important business meetings, important occasions etc that have got postponed / cancelled due to cancellations of these Jet Airways Flights !
But what exactly is the issue? Why did Pilots go on strike? Why did Jet remove those Pilots?
(Note: My comments are based on what I have read & heard – I do not know if actual reality is different)
Simply put, Jet Airways was against Pilots creating a trade Union (probably the outcome of what had happened few months back – sacking of few hundred employees).
To show their dissent, Jet Airways, sacked nearly 10 pilots who were instrumental in creating this Union.
This did not go down well with other Pilots and till now 432 pilots have gone on sick leave, with 360 not reporting for work on the first day. Jet Airways has close to 760 pilots on its rolls.
With more than half of Pilots absent, the flights had to be cancelled and passengers were left stranded !
Jet Airways hasn’t taken this lightly and have threatened to take stern action against these Pilots. Mr. Narendra Goyal, head of Jet Airways, has even gone ahead and named these pilots terrorists.
He said:
“They are behaving like terrorists. They cannot hold the country, passengers and the airline hostage. We won’t tolerate such blackmail. The livelihood of more than 30,000 employees of Jet Airways is at stake, I am open to meeting and talking to the pilots. I will be more than happy to meet them. But they cannot harass the passengers”
Here is what I think:
Jet Airways Pilots have not done anything illegal in forming a trade Union. They did not make any demands nor were they blaming Jet Airways for anything. They were simply forming a Union, which is probably within their Legal and Constitutional rights.
I dont think it was right on Jet Airways part to take such a stern action against these Pilots.
I really want to know what our readers think? Is Jet Airways right in sacking them or have Pilots erred by going on mass leave?