Kingfisher may extend lock-out as talks fail

When asked whether they are ready to climb down from their demand for complete payment of salary dues, the engineers indicated that it is negotiable. File photo:S.Siva Saravanan

Kingfisher Airlines may extend the lock-out as talks between the management and striking employees failed on Wednesday due to disagreement on salary payment.

“The management said they did not have money and asked us to take one month salary and join work. We told them to clear at least four months’ salary out of seven months’ due and they refused. The talks failed as the management was unrelenting and the meeting ended abruptly in less than 15 minutes,” said a Kingfisher Airlines employee.

“The management did not share any revival plan with us, and they did not indicate to us as to how and when the salary backlog would be cleared. When we refused their offer, they said they would evaluate and get back to us on Monday,” the employee said.

Representatives of pilots and engineers from Kingfisher’s bases in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai were called for this meeting to break the deadlock. Top officials of the UB group and the airline attended the meeting.

Kingfisher Airlines Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Aggarwal told reporters that the airline would have to extend the lock-out for a few more days to start operations properly.

“The meeting with the representatives of pilots and engineers was good. The discussions are moving in the right direction but we have to meet again,” he said.