ADVERTISEMENT

Kingfisher Airlines employees protest ahead of IPL match

A group of employees of crisis-hit Kingfisher today staged a "silent" protest ahead of the IPL match involving Royal Challenger Bangalore team, owned by liquor baron and airline promoter Vijay Mallya, against non-payment of salary for several months here.

About 70 protesters including the pilots, engineers, ground staff and the cabin crew stood in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue and held placards, before the match between RCB and Mumbai Indians began at the Chinnaswamy stadium.

An employee said the salary had not been paid for the last eight months.

"The police asked us to come to the station, took down our names and requested us not to gather without permission before letting us go", a protester said.

Only this week, Kingfisher Airlines started remitting two months' salaries to its employees who have not been paid for the last 10 months. Grounded since October 1 last, Kingfisher -- whose flying licence expired last December -- has not paid to most of its staff since last June.

Last month, airline engineers had announced that they would disrupt the matches and had also urged the players to quit the Vijay Mallya team. They also asked the cricket board not to allow Mr Mallya's team to participate in the event.