Dhaka : The pilots of Biman Bangladesh Airlines are continuing their strike action to protest against their employer.
Yesterday the pilots ignored Biman Bangladesh Airlines threats and en masse declared themselves sick and unable to report for work. This left the airline unable to fulfil its flight schedules.
The absenteeism followed an order issued by the airline's management for the pilots to resume duties in 48 hours. The pilots said Biman extended their working age and took away a host of benefits.
Civil Aviation Secretary Shafique Alam Mehedi said the matter would be settled in court as it was now pending for a judicial decision.
The pilots last Friday launched a protest against a Biman decision to increase the retirement age of pilots from 57 to 62, leaving them conditionally out of insurance and rehabilitation benefits during that period. Pilots protested by refusing to fly additional hours beyond the contract between the Bangladesh Airline Pilots Association (BAPA) and Biman while the Biman authorities suspended five of their leaders including the association's acting president on Tuesday. The action prompted the pilots, who were on a partial strike earlier to escalate their protest into a total work ban, with 61 of them reporting sick yesterday. The association said they would continue to refuse to work until the suspension orders were withdrawn and the administrative order for conditional operation of additional flights was cancelled.
Flights rescheduled
The situation forced the airline's management to reschedule the flights and allow the Biman pilots, who had earlier been given desk jobs, to operate flights, officials said.
Biman needs another 117 pilots to make up the total of 166 who are needed to operate additional flights.
The strike has so far stranded hundreds of passengers for 10 to 27 hours.
Newspaper reports said more than 500 passengers, including Bangladeshi migrant workers, were forced to endure the delays in Dhaka yesterday.
Migrant workers demonstrated at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport fearing they would lose their overseas jobs.
The Haj flights however remained unaffected by strike action to ensure pilgrims would be carried to Saudi Arabia.
