HC reserves order on IPG's plea against restraint to strike

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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its order on a plea by a section of Air India pilots, numbering over 200, against a single-judge order restraining them from continuing their 'illegal strike' by reporting sick and staging demonstrations.

A two judge bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul is likely to pronounce its order on Thursday on the plea by Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), representing the pilots of original Air India, the entity prior to its merger with Indian Airlines.

The bench, also comprising Justice Rajiv Shakdher, reserved the order on IPG's plea, which contended that the single-judge's ex-parte order restraining them from going on strike and terming it as "illegal" was without any authority. IGP said the Delhi high Court lacked jurisdiction on the issue as IGP's office was in Mumbai.

On May 9, Justice Reva Khetrapal had restrained over 200 agitating Air India pilots from continuing their 'illegal strike' after reporting sick and then staging demonstrations, a day after the airlines management sacked 10 pilots and derecognised their union.

The pilots were agitating over the rescheduling of Boeing 787 Dreamliner training and matters relating to their career progression under the banner of Indian Pilots Guild (IPG).

Justice Khetrapal issued notice to IPG and asked it to reply to a plea of Air India management seeking court's intervention and also a restraint order against the striking pilots.

"The defendant no 1 (IPG), its members, agents and its office bearers are restrained from illegal strike. The pilots are also restrained from reporting sick, holding dharnas, staging demonstrations or resorting to any other modes of strike in and outside the company's offices in Delhi and other regional offices," Justice Khetrapal had said in her order.

The single judge had also said allowing such strike to continue will cause irreparable loss to the company as well as huge inconvenience to the passengers travelling by the national carrier.

Filing an injunction suit against the pilots, counsel for AI management Lalit Bhasin had termed the strike as illegal and said due to the pilots' strike, the firm has been forced to cancel some of its international flights which has resulted in extreme hardship and also inconvenience to the passengers.

Moreover, as a result of the cancellation of flights, Air India is facing huge financial loss of over Rs 10 crore per day, he added.