With the standoff between Air-India and its pilots entering the fifth day, Labour Minister Sahib Singh Verma on Tuesday said he expected the pilots to withdraw unconditionally the strike that has disrupted flight schedules.

"It is expected that they (Indian Pilots Guild) may withdraw the strike unconditionally," Verma told NDTV in remarks on a day when the IPG was de-recognised by the Air-India management.

There was no immediate reaction from the Guild.

Verma said the Regional Labour Commissioner in Mumbai Shiv Kumar was holding talks with the Guild representatives in a bid to end the stir. The progress in negotiations was steady, he said.

Verma's comments came a day after the Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain said in Parliament that his ministry had initiated a process with the labour ministry to declare the undeclared strike as illegal and to take necessary action.

Meanwhile, Air-India spokesman Jitendra Bhargava said in Mumbai that the management was 'compelled' to take the action to derecognise the Indian Pilots Guild.