Cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) faces a potentially
prolonged shutdown as
reconciliatory talks between the management and striking engineers and pilots failed on Wednesday with the
employees rejecting the offer of part payment of salary for the last seven months.
"Our strike will continue as the management has failed to give any commitment on payment of salary," captain Vikrant Patkar, a representative of the striking engineers and pilots," told reporters after a brief meeting in Mumbai.
"There is no money and they can't give any commitment as well. We are not going to work unless we are paid for seven months. So, we have rejected their offer," Patkar added. "The management offered us one month's salary and that too 10-15 days later." The Vijay Mallyaowned carrier's plan to resume operations on Thursday will apparently fail as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has attached the safety rider.
The DGCA on Wednesday evening submitted an interim report to civil aviation minister Ajit Singh on the situation, including the safety issue as aircraft engineers are on strike. According to a DGCA official, a final report will be submitted in the next few days.
In its Wednesday report, the DGCA has said that safety has been seriously jeopardised. Earlier during the day in New Delhi, Singh told reporters that Kingfisher will have to seek the DGCA's nod before resuming operations.
Courtesy: Mail Today
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