New Delhi: State-run National Aviation Co. of India Ltd-run Air India’s pilots’ union Indian Commercial Pilots Association or ICPA failed to clear its deadlock with the management on Thursday in the run-up to the strike notice call given from November 30th.

ICPA, with backing of some 800 pilots, is protesting against irregular payments by the carrier and seeking uniform pay scale rules within the carrier. The pilot’s union had given a strike call notice from 24 November but that was later moved to 30 November after conciliation meetings with the management and the chief labour commissioner S.K. Mukhopadhyay last week.

Thursday’s parleys in the capital were expected to result in some resolution between the two sides. ICPA president Capt. Shailendra Singh said that they were called for a meeting with chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav but were later refused an audience with him. “We don’t want to talk to people who do not have any mandate,” he said referring to the senior directors who held talks on Thursday.

“We have instructed everyone to be on standby for the strike which might happen if talks fail with CLC (on 30 November). We will follow the legal process,” he said.

An Air India spokesman could not be reached for comment.