MNS takes up cudgel on behalf of jobless Jet staff

BREAKING NEWS

New Delhi: The financial crisis is taking its toll and the first to be hit in India is the aviation industry.

Jet Airways on Wednesday announced that 1,900 employees in all, including engineers, cabin crew and groundstaff would lose their jobs.

The Jet employees who lost their jobs will stage a dharna in Mumbai on Thursday.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the Shiv Sena are supporting the agitation by employees

MNS chief Raj Thackarey has decided to intervene on behalf of the employees of Jet Airways who were shown the door on Wednesday.

Raj said that MNS will fight for the employees who were served termination notice by Jet Airways.

"We will block all Jet Airways flights and activities of Jet if these people are not taken back. We will hold a meeting with Jet Airways personnel on Thursday and request them to reconsider their decision to lay off the employees,” Raj said after some retrenched employees met him at his residence on Wednesday.

Jet Airways laid off 850 employees most of whom were on probation and 60 employees met Raj Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon and sought his help.

Shiv Sena activists also assembled outside Jet House in Mumbai and shouted slogans against the domestic carrier.

However, Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal insisted that job cuts are not the major issue before the airlines industry.

"We are here to protect the interest of our employees. Whatever we are is because of them. The idea is not to get rid of the people or staff but there are bigger issues to be dealt with," Goyal said and added that airlines need to be efficient.

The Jet employees claimed they got their termination letters on Tuesday and add that the letter does not mention any compensation.

Some said they were not even sent any letters, but were verbally told that their services had been terminated.

"It will hamper our career and it will hamper our future. If they (Jet) were planning to terminate us then why did they recruit us," said a female employee who lost her job.

"We don't know anything right now. We came here just for this (termination letter). They are saying that we have been terminated but why we don't know," another employee added.

Anger at the sudden dismissal was evident amongst the employees. "No one can understand how we are feeling. They destroyed everything in just a day. What do they think of themselves?" an executive said.

Her colleague echoed the sentiment. "Without any notice they have just did this. My friend messaged and she told me that we have all been terminated."

Another airline that could see job cuts is Kingfisher.

"I have laid off staff. They (Jet Airways) have also laid off staff. We need to be efficient and cut the costs and will do whatever it takes," Kingfisher Chairman Vijay Mallya said.