Mumbai: Taking a tough stand against its pilots who are on mass sick leave Jet Airways on Tuesday evening sacked three pilots for not reporting to work.
Over 360 Jet Airways pilots are on sick leave since Tuesday morning bringing the airline to a grinding halt.
The three sacked pilots - Suhel Jain, Venkat Vinod and Rashmi Gaur - had also claimed that they were sick and did not report to work.
They had also refused to be tested after doctors were sent to their homes. But the pilots’ association responded to the sacking of three of their colleagues with a total shutdown and will be on leave on Wednesday too.
The pilots union also decided to file a police complaint against the doctors who have been visiting the pilots' houses for mediacl check-ups. Pilots allege that Jet Airways has been sending the doctors to the pilots' houses at 0100-0130 hrs IST in the night.
However, Jet Airways Executive Director Saroj Dutta claimed that the pilots went on mass leave in spite of assuring the airlines that they would not do so.
“The strike was called without any notice. The guild sent us a notice through an e-mail that they would withdraw their strike. But then they went on mass sick leave. So we were caught by surprise,” Dutta told CNN-IBN.
“Jet Chairman (Naresh Goyal) is willing to hold discussions the pilots. We have to keep the govt informed. It is a public utility service,” said Dutta.
Dutta also hinted that the airlines would not succumb to the demand made by the pilots.
On the other had Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said Jet pilots have not yet sought time to meet them and added that Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) would be invoked only after investigation.
Earlier, Jet pilots had gone on mass sick leave to protest the sacking of two senior colleagues, which led to the cancellation of 184 Jet flights across the country, stranding over 13,000 passengers across 65 cities.
(With inputs from George Koshy)
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