Click to play videoMumbai: Air India pilots calls off the strike on the fifth day and they will now resume flying from midnight as Wednesday gives way to Thursday. But what finally broke the deadlock between the management and the pilots? Was it the threat from the Civil Aviation minister or his promise to hold the pay cuts for now. CNN-IBN has the exclusive details on why striking pilots agreed to end the deadlock.
Air India's pilots are back at work after five days of protests. Bookings have reopened and all operations are back to normal from midnight as Wednesday draws to a close.
When the pilots of a national carrier called off their stir, the agitating leader Captain Bhalla said, "I thank PM for asking the civil aviation minister to intervene. We have been given assurance for our rights. We formally call off the strike."
But what finally broke the deadlock between the management and the pilots ? CNN-IBN has exclusive access to a letter from the civil aviation ministry on the basis of which striking pilots agreed to end the deadlock.
The letter promises to hold pay cuts in performance linked incentives in abeyance for now, to set up a panel to look into salary cuts and to have two pilots as members of the panel.
The letter, drafted by the Air India management, was cleared by the PMO.
The letter was delivered to the pilots association at 1630 hrs on the evening, perhaps causing the stir to be called off soon after.
But the strike was called off on Wednesday morning after a verbal assurance was given to the pilots at 0300 hrs.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said, "CMD of Air India will shortly be forming a committee which will also include representatives from the ministry and we hope that the pilots and all section of employees wouldd benefit from the deliberation and interaction from the committee based on which future action will be taken. I thank the pilots who have give this call this morning that they will resume work.''
But this is just an interim solution to the problem. Pay cuts will have to be implemented at some point in time. 18 per cent of Air India's expenses are employee costs. It has 45,000 employees where it needs just 15,000. Air India will have to bite the bullet.
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