Jet staff hopeless, sentiment hits lowest

Staff sentiment at crisis-hit Jet Airways has hit the lowest as the endgame nears for the airline.

With no interim funds coming from the lenders and suspensionof all its operations imminent, they have lost all hopes and are bracing fortough times ahead.

   

“We are going to approach the Labour Commissioner forrecovering our dues. We can no longer hold on any further,” said anengineer who has taken a loan against his LIC policy to meet his dailyexpenses.

Airline sources told IANS that a few hundred pilots wouldmove from Jet Airways in the next few days as they no longer believe airlinewould be saved.

“Jet Airways shares have suddenly dropped so much. Itsignals there is nothing for the airline now and it will suspend all itsoperations,” the engineer said.

Jet Airways shares dropped 12.47 per cent to Rs 229.05 onthe BSE on Tuesday afternoon.

While technical personnel are likely to get jobs as mostprivate carriers including IndiGo and GoAir hiring, the non-technical staff areheading for tough time. Even, pilots and engineers are taking heavy pay-cuts toget a job.

The salary cut ranges from 30 to 50 per cent.

“We are unlikely to get our dues from the airline. Thefuture remains bleak. The only ray of hope is that the traffic growth continueswhich means job opportunities would come,” an executive said.

Captain Asim Valiani, Vice President, National Aviator’sGuild (NAG), said that employees of all rank and file were facing financialhardship.

“We are not sure how to tide over this financialstress. Children’s education, EMIs and even mediclaims are at stake. Not tomention losing four months’ pay, bonus and gratuity,” Valiani said.

The Jet employees know that the industry does not have thecapacity to absorb all of them.

“Many pilots and (executives in) other ranks will bejobless. The future of 20,000 employees is in jeopardy,” the Captainnoted.

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