Kingfisher Airlines staff split on three-month back pay offer to resume work

25 Oct 2012

Employees of grounded Kingfisher Airlines have agreed to return to work, the stricken carrier's chief executive Sanjay Aggarwal said today after a meeting with staff, who had not received their salaries since March. He added, all employees had agreed to resume duty right right away and they were on duty even as he spoke.

"... We are all in this together and looking forward to getting the airline going in the next few weeks," CEO Sanjay Aggarwal told reporters.

The airline, which has been grounded since the start of the month would need to convince the civil avitation regulator to reinstate its licence, that stood suspended.

Yesterday a section ofKingfisher's employees had decided to accept the management's offer on salaries as they believed the airline needed to get back on its feet, and that sacrifices had to be made to make that happen.

However a large section seemed to have rejected the offer saying they had lost faith in the company. The said the money would need to be given at one go before October 26, or there would be no deal.

Several other employees, who held meetings in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai, had also rejected the offer, accusing the management of trying to ''break their unity'', it was reported.

Kingfisher CEO, Sanjay Aggarwal had sent a letter to the staff saying the March 2012 salary will be paid on or before 25 October.