The five-day-old strike by Jet Airways pilots that severely crippled the carrier's services and incovenienced thousands of passengers, ended late Saturday night as the airline management and the agitators were understood to have worked out a settlement.
Indications of a resolution to the impasse between the two sides came after a marathon seven-hour meeting in Mumbai during which it was agreed that the pilots sacked by the airline would be reinstated and the pilots would not challenge a review of registration of their union National Aviators Guild by the Registrar of Trade Unions.
A formal announcement of the deadlock being broken and the strike being called off is likely to be made by the pilots association soon.
According to sources, a separate body -- something like an internal gerivance committee -- comprising senior pilots and Jet Airways executives would be formed and that will most likely replace the union. No confirmation of this move could however be available.
The agitation, which saw almost 400 pilots affiliated to NAG going on sick leave protesting dismissal of their colleagues and saw cancellation of 280 flights on Saturday, is expected to end soon with the pilots poised to resuming duty almost immediately.
Ahead of the meeting between the pilots and the Jet management, the airline's Executive Director Saroj Dutta addressed the pilots appealing to them to end their agitation.
Saturday's discussions came a day after nine-hour long inconclusive conciliatory proceedings between the management and the NAG before the Chief Labour Commissioner.
In the morning, the pilots had a meeting of their own where Kaushik and other NAG leaders briefed them about the deliberations at the conciliatory proceedings.
Jet Airways sources said that the airline's schedule will return to normal as soon as the rosetering of the pilots is completed.
