NEW DELHI: Let down on several occasions by unfulfilled
promises to clear several months of salary dues, the employees of Kingfisher
AirlinesBSE 1.64 %in Delhi have
sought closure of the cash-strapped carrier by initiating legal proceedings
against the company on Thursday.
Employees of the airline's maintenance and ground support departments, who held a meeting on Wednesday afternoon at the Delhi airport, have also decided to submit a memorandum to the ministries of corporate affairs, civil aviation and labour seeking an enquiry into the management of the company.
They have demanded clearing of salary dues by selling the company's assets.
"We have already appointed two advocates who will begin the legal procedures on Thursday and will soon go to the court to file the case. There is no meaning to pull the company like this when it has been grounded for months and our state is worse than being unemployed," the airline's maintenance employees association head Santosh Kumar Gautam said.
The winding-up petition would be filed under the Companies Act to close down the airline, which has been grounded since October 2012.
The employees, who attended the meeting, also said employees from other departments such as pilots and flight crew were also kept in the loop about this. They are in constant touch with the employees who plan to take the legal route.
"We would like to approach Ram Jethmalani to represent our case," Gautam said, adding that the workers' trust has been breached "umpteen number of times regarding salary payments".
Employees' action against the debt-laden carrier comes immediately after lenders decided earlier this week to take legal action against the company for its failure to repay over 7,000-crore debt despite repeated reminders.
Lenders had been pursuing a soft approach so far in the hope that the company, which has not paid interest on its loans for more than a year now, can be persuaded to come out with a revival plan. But their patience seems to be running out now.
This is the first time that lenders are discussing recovery measures. Officials who attended the meeting said that lenders' initial step would be to issue a legal notice to the airline.
With uncertainty over the revival of Kingfisher Airlines, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh last week said the airline should present a satisfactory operating plan to aviation regulator DGCA and work on rescue plans for the sake of its employees, stakeholders and passengers.
The airline could not save its licence from expiry on December 31, for not being able to present a credible recovery plan to the DGCA.
The airline has debts of close to 8,000 crore and has suffered losses of 1,609 crore in 2008-09, 1,647 crore in 2009-10, 1,027 crore in 2010-11 and 732 crore in 2011-12.
Employees of the airline's maintenance and ground support departments, who held a meeting on Wednesday afternoon at the Delhi airport, have also decided to submit a memorandum to the ministries of corporate affairs, civil aviation and labour seeking an enquiry into the management of the company.
They have demanded clearing of salary dues by selling the company's assets.
"We have already appointed two advocates who will begin the legal procedures on Thursday and will soon go to the court to file the case. There is no meaning to pull the company like this when it has been grounded for months and our state is worse than being unemployed," the airline's maintenance employees association head Santosh Kumar Gautam said.
The winding-up petition would be filed under the Companies Act to close down the airline, which has been grounded since October 2012.
The employees, who attended the meeting, also said employees from other departments such as pilots and flight crew were also kept in the loop about this. They are in constant touch with the employees who plan to take the legal route.
"We would like to approach Ram Jethmalani to represent our case," Gautam said, adding that the workers' trust has been breached "umpteen number of times regarding salary payments".
Employees' action against the debt-laden carrier comes immediately after lenders decided earlier this week to take legal action against the company for its failure to repay over 7,000-crore debt despite repeated reminders.
Lenders had been pursuing a soft approach so far in the hope that the company, which has not paid interest on its loans for more than a year now, can be persuaded to come out with a revival plan. But their patience seems to be running out now.
This is the first time that lenders are discussing recovery measures. Officials who attended the meeting said that lenders' initial step would be to issue a legal notice to the airline.
With uncertainty over the revival of Kingfisher Airlines, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh last week said the airline should present a satisfactory operating plan to aviation regulator DGCA and work on rescue plans for the sake of its employees, stakeholders and passengers.
The airline could not save its licence from expiry on December 31, for not being able to present a credible recovery plan to the DGCA.
The airline has debts of close to 8,000 crore and has suffered losses of 1,609 crore in 2008-09, 1,647 crore in 2009-10, 1,027 crore in 2010-11 and 732 crore in 2011-12.
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