Jet Airways denies plans to slash workforce

Mumbai: India's leading private carrier, Jet Airways Ltd, said Wednesday it had no plans to cut jobs in a drive to save costs and would look to non-payroll areas instead to streamline operations. Yesterday media reports had suggested that the carrier may be considering slashing up to 10 per cent of its workforce.

The carrier, which will report quarterly results on Friday, said in a statement that it sought to bring down costs through all possible measures "but without bringing down its workforce."

Meanwhile, the All India Jet Airways Officers and Staff Association, representing ground staff, security and cargo workers, said it would resist any move to cut workforce.

"Our charter of demands for pay revision and promotions is being negotiated. Till this is pending, the management can't take any decision regarding job cuts. We will not allow it,'' Kiran Pawaskar, union president and Nationalist Congress Party legislator, was quoted as saying.

Girish Kaushik, president of the airline's pilot union, said there was no move to cut pilots' strength. "In fact, such a possibility of job cut does not arise because of a tremendous shortage of pilots,'' he said.

The carrier has not elaborated on the cost cutting initiatives it had in mind.