The Hindu : Front Page : Jet staff protest retrenchment

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Thursday, Oct 16, 2008
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Jet staff protest retrenchment

Ramnath Subbu

Management plans to sack 1,900 staffers

— Photo: Paul Noronha

TURBULENT TIMES: Jet Airways employees outside the airline office in Mumbai on Wednesday after hearing the lay-off announcement.

Mumbai: Scores of probationers of Jet Airways, including cabin crew and ground staff, staged a protest outside the airline’s office here on Wednesday against the management decision to retrench nearly 1,900 staffers. About 300 retrenched employees staged the protest in suburban Andheri and sought political support.

Many of the retrenched employees are in their late teens or early twenties, and several of them are willing to work for a basic salary of around Rs. 10,000 without any flight allowance.

Executive director Saroj Dutta said the airline planned to lay off 1,900 employees over the next couple of days. After 800 cabin crew members were laid off, the 1,100 employees “covering all categories” would receive termination notices. “These measures are to ensure that the airline remains economically viable in the future. The 1,900 employees have to go to ensure the jobs of the remaining 11,100 jobs at Jet.”

“The aviation industry in India, a $6-billion turnover industry, is expected to lose $ 2 billion in 2008-09. Its economic viability has been severely affected by the record high fuel prices and most recently due to the crisis of the financial markets globally and the downturn in traffic,” said Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways.

Jet planned for continuous growth in the domestic aviation market and implementation of the first phase of its international expansion programme. “However, the domestic market has declined by double-digit figures in recent months. Apart from this, Jet Airways’ long haul expansion had to be pruned due to international developments. Also in these difficult times, the number of flights Jet will be offering in winter schedule will be about 15 per cent lower than originally planned. This is inevitable in view of the declining traffic volumes, ” Mr. Prock-Schauer said.

MNS to take up issue

Rahi Gaikwad reports:

A group of sacked Jet employees met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray here. An MNS delegation will meet the management on Thursday, said Gajanan Rane, vice-president of the MNS labour wing.

Mr. Thackeray reportedly said the MNS would not allow any Jet plane to fly over Maharashtra if the employees were not taken back.

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