Employees of cash strapped carrier, Kingfisher Airlines (KfA) continue to await official communication about their pending salaries. Snubbed by the management, they are exploring options to take legal action against their employers.
This, after reports that aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would not intervene in the matter, as salary payments were an internal issue of the company. “Every base and city have different employees and we are not in touch with them. So we do not know if they are thinking on the same lines, but a section of us are considering action to ensure we get our dues”, an employee of the airline said.
A section of employees were to meet DGCA officials on Friday but sources said that the meeting had not taken place so far. “Our biggest problem is that we do not have a recognized union and do not know how to take this forward”, a pilot who did not want to reveal his identity told Express. Further, he said that a section of pilots would take a call on this by December 15.
KfA had assured to pay three of the seven months pending salaries by November 12, but had paid only two months. KfA had also said that they would pay October salary in December before Christmas; a claim pilots say may also be forgotten. Angered at the attitude of the management, employees said that they continue to remain optimistic due to recent $2 billion deal between the worlds largest spirit maker, Diageo and Mallya owned United Spirits Limited (USL). “I am doing what’s best each of my companies”, Mallya had stated and also that KFA’s issues to be addressed fairly but separately.
KfA is currently reeling under debts of over `8000 crore and also losses to the same tune. DGCA had suspended the carrier’s flying licence to ensure all issues of salary was resolved before they could resume operations. KFA license is set to expire on December 31 2012.