Air India cracks whip on employees, sacks 10 more pilots

New Delhi, May 9:

reacted strongly against the striking employees of the

following the

's statement that agitation by the pilots is "illegal". The carrier sacked ten more pilots on Wednesday, May 9.

Now no pilots of the airlines can call sick, warned the high court which also claimed that pilots should halt their protest until hearings in the case are completed.

This was the second time when the Air India management terminated its pilots for the two consecutive days. The management sacked ten pilots earlier on Tuesday.

It seems that Air India pilots have been cornered. The government also has warned that they would not bail out again. Reacting strongly against the protest by the pilots, aviation minister Ajit Singh claimed, "Government has given them 30,000 crore of public money but that is not without strings. They have to prove their worth. Let me point out the example of Kingfisher. They downsized and since then they are doing fine. Air India only has 17 per cent market share. The pilots must look at this also."

The minister also called the strike by the pilots "illegal". Clarifying his stand on the entire hullabaloo, Ajit Singh claimed, "A strike needs a notice in advance. The Air India pilots have called in sick. Such kind of a strike is illegal."

"This is not appropriate. Every section has grievances, they should have some patience," he said.

Meanwhile, Air India passengers vented their anger at airline staff in Delhi alleging that they were not cooperating or providing any details to them regarding their flights or other alternate flight.

OneIndia News