Jet Airways pilot and General Secretary of National Aviators Guild Captain D. Balram on Sunday said the announcement made by Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal assuring pilots of the airliner that no unilateral decision would be made without consulting them was a significant one.
Speaking to media persons on arrival from Mumbai at the Chennai Airport after the strike by Jet Airways pilots was called off, he said that “It is significant considering that the management had conceded not to take any decision without consulting us.” Another important development was the creation of a committee comprising five pilots and an equal number of representatives from the management.
The brief, three-paragraph agreement, he said, was the most important reason for the pilots to call off their strike. Mr. Balram said Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal had assured the over 150 pilots of the airliner who attended the meeting on Sunday morning that henceforth, no unilateral decision would be made, much to the delight and satisfaction of the striking pilots.
Stating that the strike by the pilots of Jet Airways had support from all sections, including political parities such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist), pilots from other private airlines and their own company colleagues cutting across all cadre, Mr. Balram said the creation of committees comprising employees and management representatives was a healthy trend and that similar committees should be constituted in other private airline companies, not just for pilots, but for all sections of the employees.
Captain Balram said “Talks with the CLC were not conclusive at all; hence we went back to Mumbai. Congress Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Nirupam helped us a lot during the course of our talks with the management and on Sunday morning, we reached an agreement,” Mr. Balram said.
