Forget govt or Mallya, staff might shut down Kingfisher

Who will shut Kingfisher Airlines? The government or the Chairman Vijay Mallya himself? Now it looks like it could well be its staff.

The aviation ministry has already indicated that it is not going to shut down the airline, which has a debt of over Rs 7500 crore.

And it is clear that the management is highly unlikely to move in that direction. The airline’s executive vice-president Hitesh Patel has reportedly urged its staff to continue working without salary. He has empathised with their personal difficulties though, a report in The Times of India said.

The management, however, has for the first time admitted that the airline is on the brink.The company is at “a critical juncture, which will define whether we make it or not”, the report quoted an email sent to the staff by Patel.

[caption id=“attachment_378416” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Will the staff finally shut Kingfisher down? Reuters[/caption]

The staff are not going to be amused with any promises, even as they wait for four months salary.The company has not given a timeline for March salary yet. A PTI report has said the employees are planning to approach the labour court over their salary dues.

“(Airline) Chairman Vijay Mallya’s communication to the employees conceals more than it reveals. While he claims over 75 per cent staff have been paid, he conveniently ignores the fact that he has still to pay four months’ salaries to them. Now we have come to a situation where we are left with no option but to move the labour court over the issue,” the report quoted airline sources in Mumbai.

Their resolve to fight is clear.

A move in this direction will, in all likelihood, result in a grinding halt of Kingfisher’s already limping operations.

The ToI story quotes a government official as saying the airline’s management may be making a situation where others will be forced to shut it down.

If the action hots up on this front, the others who may force a shutdown could be its staff.