Kingfisher employees to meet today to decide future course of action

Facing acute financial crisis due to non-payment of salaries for the past 10 months, employees of Kingfisher Airlines are meeting today to protest against the "total neglect and ignorance" by the company as well as the government and to decide on a course of action in the future.

"We have not been paid since May last year. We all are going through acute financial crisis. We all are gathering today to decide final course of action as till now we were patient with the company and the management in order to help them revive," said a Kingfisher employee who did not want to be named.

"But our patience now has run out and we would now go to any extent to get justice," he said, adding, "We are also protesting against the spineless, inefficient, ineffective and toothless law which fails to safeguard interest of working class and its exploitation."

"There is a complete lack of political will to implement even the existing law. We want Parliament to take up the issue and highlight the plight of working class," the employee further said.

The Vijay Mallya-owned airline is grounded since October last year following unrest by employees over non-payment of salaries and subsequent disruption in its flight schedules.

The airline's flying licence expired on December 31, 2012 and the civil aviation regulator had refused to renew it, saying it would have to first clear the dues of their employees.

Kingfisher Airlines owes a loan of over Rs 7,000 crore to the consortium of 17 banks, led by the State Bank of India. The lenders have said they would soon start the process to recover their dues.