Kingfisher Airlines' employees have cancelled
their plan to go on strike, following airline chairman Vijay Mallya's assurance
that they would be paid on Wednesday. The employees, led by pilots and
engineers, had threatened to stop work from Tuesday night if two months salary
was not paid. However, they backed off after a late night negotiations with
Mallya at his Mumbai residence.
Nine representatives met Mallya on Monday night
and the meeting continued till 4 am on Tuesday. "We knew it was not possible for
him to pay us two months salary today, but we made it clear that we can't wait
long,'' a pilot said.
The pilots and engineers also assured him
that they had no plans of forming an union. The sudden climbdown by pilots and
engineers will give a breather to the Kingfisher management, which is struggling
to keep its schedules intact, following a freeze of bank accounts. The airline
is operating 120 flights with 20 planes in its summer schedule.
Mallya also cautioned that a strike would disrupt
airline's operations and Directorate General of Civil Aviation could cancel its
operating permit. He had earlier said junior staff will be paid on Wednesday and
pilots and engineers would be paid on the following Monday and Tuesday.
However, the airline's spokesperson refused to
comment.
Sources said the pilots and engineers may agitate
in case they do not receive the salaries on the said date, but for now, have put
off the agitation. "We are confident that the chairman will pay us on Wednesday
and we are supporting him,'' a commander said.
Mallya is also reported to have assured the
employee representatives that he will "try his best'' to pay second salary in
April but did not give any date. The airline's employees have not been paid for
the past four months. The pilots and engineers had indicated that they are under
stress and cannot work until their salaries are paid.
In an emotional appeal to his employees, Mallya on
Sunday wrote, "We need to re-build confidence and earn the trust from our guests
back again...This will not be possible without your continued efforts,
commitment and goodwill towards your company.''
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