Air India pilots to call off strike

The agitating Air India pilots today told the Delhi High Court that they will call off their 58-day long strike with immediate effect.u00a0

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The pilots also told Justice Reva Khetrapal through their counsel Geeta Luthra that they will join their duties in 48 hours by giving joining reports, whereas those pilots whose services were terminated during the strike would submit reports expressing their willingness to join the duty.u00a0

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The pilots decided to call off their strike after AI management assured the court that it would consider the grievances of the pilots "sympathetically".u00a0

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"Serious efforts have been made to settle dispute and the counsel for the parties have assured the court that their respective clients will be extending full cooperation in this regard.u00a0

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"The senior counsel (Luthra) appearing for the pilots has said that her clients will immediately call of the strike and join their duties in 48 hours, by giving joining reports or the report expressing their willingness to join the duty.u00a0

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"The AI management shall sympathetically consider the grievances of the pilots including the aspect of reinstatement of those pilots who were terminated as a consequence to their strike," Justice Khetrapal said while disposing of the pilots' plea for a direction to the management to take back the 101 sacked pilots, including the 10 office bearers of the Indian Pilots Guild.u00a0

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The court in its order directed the pilots as well as the management to appear before the conciliator, Chief Labour Commissioner N K Prasad, on July 5 at 4.30pm. The pilots had yesterday moved the court saying they were ready to end their strike if their sacked colleagues are taken back and their union gets back the recognition.