Fasting Air India pilots unrelenting, to continue strike till demands are met

New Delhi, June 28 (ANI): As the indefinite hunger strike of the Air India pilots entered its fifth day here on Thursday, the agitating pilots voiced their determination to continue with their protest until their demands are met.

"Our resolve has not weakened one bit. Our bodies will repair, will come back and we will join again," Ajay Goyat, a protesting pilot, said.

Goyat said that the pilots' association should be consulted over the recommendations of the Dharmadhikari report.

" We are willing to talk on all of our demands, as the minister claims that the Dharamadhikari report will solve all these issues, and even the report itself says all the unions will be considered. This is not a legal body; this is a committee which has come out with recommendations and these recommendations have to be discussed with the unions before a comprehensive policy is formulated by the management," Goyat added.

Earlier on Monday, Minister of Civil Aviation Ajit Singh had termed the hunger strike as avoidable and needless.

The Air India pilots began their indefinite hunger strike to highlight their demands for career progression and training of pilots from the erstwhile Indian Airlines (that was merged with Air India) to fly the Boeing-787 Dreamliner aircraft, to be procured shortly.

The pilots lamented that since the management had refused to have a dialogue with them, this was one of the last resorts to draw the attention of the concerned authorities.

Pilots insisted that they would go back to work provided the management reinstated the sacked pilots, and start discussion with the unions.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, had, earlier slammed the pilots and called their strike 'illegal and unlawful', for violating the High Court's ruling that had directed them to resume work. (ANI)