The Jet Airways strike has shown just how hollow the management claims of India’s top airline are. The striking pilots gave the airline a notice over a month ago, but nothing was resolved by the management. Instead, the management threw out the pilots who dared to form a union. Surely workers have a legitimate right to form a trade union, whether or not they have a grievance at that point is altogether a different matter.
It is abundantly clear that unless there is collective bargaining, not too many employers are going to give workers their due. This is what the Jet Airways pilots were asking for and the management responded by sacking them. The government has to take the management to task for this, and not respond by invoking ESMA against the pilots.
Sachin Gupta, New Delhi
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