Delhi High Court directive forces Air India employees to call off strike

New Delhi, May 26 (ANI): Coming under pressure following Delhi High Court orders staying the Air India employees' strike, the strikers called off their agitation on Wednesday evening after holding a meet with the Air India management.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court observed that the strike had affected the business and stayed the strike by Air India employees till July 13.

The proposed May 31 strike has also been stayed.

Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) Regional Secretary Vivek Rao said that the union was calling off the strike as the "management had come to an understanding of our demands".

"We are calling off our strike. Court has given us a direction and we are following that. After meeting the Chief Labour Commissioner we have decided to call off strike," said Rao, a private channel reported.

The two-day strike badly affected the airlines in the country while causing inconvenience to thousands of passengers for two days.

However, Air India has sacked 15 striking employees, said a private channel report.

Meanwhile, all grounded flights, due to the strke, will take off soon.

At least 89 flights had been affected by the strike.

Earlier, the National Aviation Company of India Limited had approached High Court against the two-day strike by Air India employees.

Delhi High Court had also stayed the strike.

Over 20,000 Air India crewmembers and maintenance engineers, had gone on a flash strike protesting against an order issued by the AI management following the Saturday's plane crash incident at Mangalore.

The striking employees were upset over the management's gag order prohibiting some of its leaders to speak out in public on the Mangalore crash.

The order that was issued after the air crash at Mangalore on Saturday (May 22), non-payment of salaries was another reason for the staff to go on strike. (ANI)