Jet pilots send legal notice over unpaid salaries

More trouble seems to be brewing for debt-ridden Jet Airways as a section of pilots has sent the company a legal notice demanding payment of salaries, due from January 1, by April 14.

"We have sent a legal notice to the company. Our demand is clear -- the payment of January 1 to March 31 salaries," a senior pilot told IANS.

The notice has been sent by the National Aviators Guild (NAG), a union of pilots, to the Jet CEO Vinay Dube. The NAG has over 1,000 members. The pilots, along with engineers and other critical segments of employees, have not been paid salaries since January 1.

The notice has been served on a day when the airline was to inform the employees about the latest situation on salary payments.

"In the light of the current situation, please note that salaries for March will be deferred. We will provide you an update on the status of the payout by Tuesday, April 9, 2019," Rahul Taneja, Chief People Officer, Jet Airways, had said in a communication to employees on April 3.

Last month, the pilots' union had decided to go on mass leave to protest non-payment of salaries, but postponed it till April 15.

"The pilots have decided that time should be given to the new interim management till April 14 to clear salary dues in conjunction with interim funding, and charter a clear road map for the future of the company. The collective call of the pilots is hence deferred to April 15," the NAG said in a communication after the open-house meeting on March 31.

On Monday, lenders of the debt-ridden airline invited expression of interest (EoI) for stake sale in the company to recover dues worth Rs 8,000 crore.

--IANS

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