Fly on partial pay: Kingfisher Air to staff

A resolution to the 23-day -long impasse in Kingfisher Airlines was in sight today with the management offering its striking staff staggered payment of three months' salary dues by mid-November and the employees saying they will discuss it among themselves and revert by Thursday.

After talks between the two sides in Mumbai which lasted over four hours, airline CEO Sanjay Aggarwal told reporters, "We had a fruitful discussion. We have given time to the employees to consider the proposal that we will clear three months' salary dues by Diwali (November 13)."

He also said that the lockout, which is till tomorrow, is being extended till normalcy is restored.

Aggarwal said the airline would "very shortly" submit a comprehensive and detailed revival plan to aviation regulator DGCA for its approval.

"It is a fair deal. But we will discuss it with all employees and get back to the management by Thursday," an engineer, who attended the parleys, told reporters.

The operations of Kingfisher have remained disrupted since September 30, first due to a strike by its engineers and pilots, then by the lockout declared by the management which was followed by suspension of its flying permit by DGCA.

Under the deal offered by the management, the salary dues of one month would be paid in 24 hours, another month's instalment in seven days and the third instalment before Diwali on November 13, airline sources said, adding that efforts would be made to clear fourth instalment by December.

Even if all employees resume duty, the airline would take about a month to launch its operations after getting all clearances from the regulator, the sources said.

They also said the management is likely to send out an e-mail to all staffers tonight or tomorrow promising to clear their dues gradually and appealing to them to return to work.

... contd.

ALSO READ

J K Cement March quarter net profit down 30% at Rs 56 cr

Tesco raises concerns on sourcing norms, govt assures co-operation

Reliance Communications Q4 net profit down over 8% in quarter

Apollo Tyres Q4 net profit down 9.4% at Rs 142 cr in fourth quarter