Cracks in IPG: 3 Air India pilots report back to work

There are cracks in the Indian pilots guild over the ongoing strike by Air India pilots as three pilots have reported back to work on Wednesday. Reacting to the development, Jitendra Awhad, the president of the IPG, dismissed the reports as rumours, accusing the management of playing dirty politics.

He asserted that none of the pilots from the IPG or the affiliated group had reported back to work.
"We wouldn't have gone for agitation if we had to join back. We are willing to talk, but we will not bend," said Awhad.
Earlier, the IPG, which is spearheading the agitation, said in a statement it was "open to meeting with officials of the management and/or Ministry at any place at any time in order to resolve these issues and bring an end to the current impasse."
An AI spokesperson, meanwhile, said, "Three sick pilots have resumed duty today". The IPG claimed that they were not its members. The agitation has led to curtailment of the airline's international operations.
Even as it offered to get to the negotiating table, the IPG accused the airline management of providing "incorrect" inputs on their demands to Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh.
"The strike continues. .... We don't want pilots to be martyred," said the IPG president when asked whether they were willing to call off their agitation that has led to a revenue loss of over Rs 150 crore to the loss-making carrier besides causing inconvenience to passengers. (With Additional Inputs from PTI)