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Jet reinstates sacked staff

I cannot see tears in their eyes: Goyal

Mumbai: Under attack for terminating the services of 1,900 employees, Jet Airways has announced their reinstatement, with Chairman Naresh Goyal saying they are “my family and can join work from tomorrow [Friday].”

“I cannot see tears in their eyes ... It is not under political pressure and I have not met any body. It is my personal decision as father of the family,” Mr. Goyal said here late on Thursday night.

Distancing himself from the decision that provoked sharp protests from the employees and some political parties, he said: “The management has decided it and when I read about it I saw tears in their eyes. I decided on my own to call them back.

“There is no internal or external pressure... as a family we will decide how to fly and keep the airline afloat.”

Asked about Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray’s threat that he would not allow Jet to fly from Mumbai, Mr. Goyal said he did not have to talk to anybody.

“It does not matter what anybody says. I have not even asked my wife,” said an emotionally choked Goyal.

Claiming that he did not know about day-to-day decisions of the management which might have taken the call because of economic conditions, Mr. Goyal said the sacking had nothing to do with Kingfisher and the alliance with that airline was a different issue. “Alliance with Kingfisher is a synergy and a separate issue ... A steering group has been constituted and is working for the rationalisation of routes and other things.”

Requesting journalists not to ask any more questions as he was disturbed, Mr. Goyal said: “My daughter is 19 years old. They [sacked employees] are 20 or so ... I have gone through this ... I cannot see their trauma and agony.” — PTI

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