<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=452><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Published September 9, 2009
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>'Sick note' protest hits Jet Airways passengers
Airline forced to cancel 120 flights as pilots call in sick
By VEN SREENIVASAN
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</TD><TD>Feedback</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>(SINGAPORE) The Jet Airways flight from Singapore to Chennai did not take off yesterday.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#fffff1><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=124 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>The pilots' union is protesting against the airline's dismissal of two senior pilots last month and is demanding their reinstatement.
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>It was one of the 120 flights that the airline, among India's biggest, was forced to cancel as hundreds of its pilots 'reported sick', following a call to industrial action by its pilots union.
The management of the private airline used strong words to decry the move. They said it was a 'simulated strike' - an 'organised activity (which) is a planned sabotage of operations that will damage the airline's operations and inconvenience the travelling public'. The lightning pilots' strike has nearly crippled the entire fleet over the past two days. Reports say dozens of flights to and from Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi were cancelled, leaving hundreds of angry passengers stranded.
In Kuala Lumpur, too, many passengers had to be moved to other flights.
Gerry Oh, the airline's Singapore-based regional vice-president for Southeast Asia, said that disruptions were minimal, as of yesterday.
'The late-night flight from Chennai to Singapore did not take off, so we do not have a return flight today,' Mr Oh said. 'We have moved all passengers to other airlines. So far, there have not been any disruptions on our daily Mumbai and Delhi flights.'
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>But he is keeping his fingers crossed as the strike enters its second full day today.
The pilots' union, the National Aviators Guild (NAG), is protesting against the airline's dismissal of two senior pilots last month and is demanding their reinstatement.
In a statement issued yesterday, Jet Airways said it had been in talks with the pilots. 'The Regional Labour Commissioner had categorically stated that any strike by the pilots during this pendency of conciliation would be deemed an illegal act, as per the Industrial Disputes Act,' it said in a statement.
'Regrettably, a section of the pilots who were rostered for operations have resorted to a simulated strike by reporting sick. This organised activity is a planned sabotage of operations that will damage the airline's operations and inconvenience the travelling public.'
The airline added that it was taking all steps to minimise the inconvenience to its passengers.
But the pilots' union insists that the protest strike will continue until their demand is met.
'All we want is that they give us in writing that the two sacked pilots will be reinstated. Management also has some responsibility in meeting us halfway,' spokesman Girish Kaushik told Reuters.
Jet Airways is one of the most highly rated and award-winning airlines in the region.
But it has hit turbulence in the wake of a global economic slowdown, rising costs and cut-throat competition which forced an industry consolidation over the past year. It sacked 2,000 staff last year. [/FONT]
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</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>'Sick note' protest hits Jet Airways passengers
Airline forced to cancel 120 flights as pilots call in sick
By VEN SREENIVASAN
<TABLE class=storyLinks border=0 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=136 align=right><TBODY><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right>
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</TD><TD>Feedback</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>(SINGAPORE) The Jet Airways flight from Singapore to Chennai did not take off yesterday.<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff>[FONT=Geneva, Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]<!-- REPLACE EVERYTHING IN CAPITALS WITH YOUR OWN VALUES --><TABLE class=quoteBox border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=144 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom>
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The management of the private airline used strong words to decry the move. They said it was a 'simulated strike' - an 'organised activity (which) is a planned sabotage of operations that will damage the airline's operations and inconvenience the travelling public'. The lightning pilots' strike has nearly crippled the entire fleet over the past two days. Reports say dozens of flights to and from Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi were cancelled, leaving hundreds of angry passengers stranded.
In Kuala Lumpur, too, many passengers had to be moved to other flights.
Gerry Oh, the airline's Singapore-based regional vice-president for Southeast Asia, said that disruptions were minimal, as of yesterday.
'The late-night flight from Chennai to Singapore did not take off, so we do not have a return flight today,' Mr Oh said. 'We have moved all passengers to other airlines. So far, there have not been any disruptions on our daily Mumbai and Delhi flights.'
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The pilots' union, the National Aviators Guild (NAG), is protesting against the airline's dismissal of two senior pilots last month and is demanding their reinstatement.
In a statement issued yesterday, Jet Airways said it had been in talks with the pilots. 'The Regional Labour Commissioner had categorically stated that any strike by the pilots during this pendency of conciliation would be deemed an illegal act, as per the Industrial Disputes Act,' it said in a statement.
'Regrettably, a section of the pilots who were rostered for operations have resorted to a simulated strike by reporting sick. This organised activity is a planned sabotage of operations that will damage the airline's operations and inconvenience the travelling public.'
The airline added that it was taking all steps to minimise the inconvenience to its passengers.
But the pilots' union insists that the protest strike will continue until their demand is met.
'All we want is that they give us in writing that the two sacked pilots will be reinstated. Management also has some responsibility in meeting us halfway,' spokesman Girish Kaushik told Reuters.
Jet Airways is one of the most highly rated and award-winning airlines in the region.
But it has hit turbulence in the wake of a global economic slowdown, rising costs and cut-throat competition which forced an industry consolidation over the past year. It sacked 2,000 staff last year. [/FONT]
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