Delhi high court today made it clear that it would no longer be lenient and many pilots will have to lose their job if they don't obey the court orders.
Having failed to persuade the striking Air India (AI) pilots to end their agitation, an exasperated Delhi high court today made it clear that it would no longer be lenient and many pilots will have to lose their job if they don't obey the court orders.
"You both lost the opportunities. We cannot guarantee what will happen in our decision. The leniency we are showing today may not be there tomorrow," said a division bench of justices B D Ahmed and Beena Birbal after the leaders of the striking pilots and the AI management failed to resolve their
differences despite many rounds of talks between them at court's prodding.
"You agree with them (pilots) to take them back. There is something called give-and-take policy," the bench told the AI management after the pilots offered to call off the strike with the conditions that the derecognition of their union, Indian Commercial Pilots' Association, should be revoked and its three sacked office bearers should be reinstated.
But Air India counsel Lalit Bhasin told the court that the management is ready to consider the pilots' demand sympathetically but it cannot be forced to accept a pre-condition. This led the pilots to refuse to end their strike and the high court eventually had to adjourn the matter for yet another hearing of the issue tomorrow.
During a hearing, the high court had at one point asked striking pilots to take a decision on resuming work, saying "this strike will not see another day."
"You call off the strike, we will press the management to consider your demand," said the bench.
But the two sides failed to resolve them despite many rounds of talks even in post-lunch session, exasperating the court.
The bench even warned the striking pilots, saying "don't get carried away by the heat of the moment. Many pilots would lose their job because of your attitude and finally you would achieve nothing."
"You cannot play around with the court. You will have to abide by the court's order. You cannot undermine the majesty of the court," said the court.
"You have to be conscious of what is happening around. You cannot transfer your miseries to others," it said adding "why do you drive the citizens to this state?"
"You haver to respect the institutions and have to abide by the court order," said the court, often blowing hot, often cold, to impress upon the seriousness of the situation on feuding IA management and pilots but to no avail.
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