Govt. takes tough stand on Air India Pilot strike

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Ajit Singh terms Air India pilots' strike illegal

As schedules of national carrier Air India were disrupted with over 100 pilots reporting sick since midnight, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Tuesday reacted strongly, saying the pilot-strike is illegal, especially at time when the national carrier is making big losses despite a huge infusion of public money.

"They are free to come forward with their grievances but they can't just call in sick. The money that the government gives to Air India depends on performances; there's a time period involved. This strike is illegal," Singh told media.

"The airline's financial condition is still bad and they are still not out of woods," Singh said, adding that the pilots should remember that the airline is receiving a bailout of Rs 30,000 crore from the government to keep it flying.

Singh also said that the airline management had not received any notification for a strike and that the pilots had all just reported sick.

Asked if there would be any action taken against the pilots he said, "The management will look at the rules of Air India and decide what action is to be taken," Singh said.

"There are many methods to deal with their demands but going on strike is not one of them," he added.