Jet Airways employees organise peaceful protest, request government's interference

Mumbai: The All India Jet Airways Officers and Staff gathered on Wednesday to pay condolences to late Shailesh Singh who committed suicide after the airline carrier suspended all its flight operations as it ran out of money and failed to raise bank loans.

On occasion of Labour Day, the Jet Airways employees also organised a peaceful protest and requested the government's interference to save the airline.

Krishna Rama Naidu, an employee in the cargo department of Jet Airways said: "On Labour Day, we have gathered for a peaceful protest. We did not get our salaries for two months. Our mediclaim policy had also lapsed."

In a letter, Rahul Taneja, CPO, Jet Airways on Tuesday said: "In the absence of any emergency funding from the lenders or any other source of funds forthcoming in the near future, we find ourselves facing a situation where we are not able to fund the premium of our group mediclaim policy. The group mediclaim policy lapses on the midnight of April 30, 2019."

Sushma Shetty, who has been associated with the airline carrier for 11 years, also sought government's interference. "We are doing peace march to request the government to save the Jet Airways and the families of 22,000 staff. A staff member also attempted to commit suicide," she said.

Singh, a senior technician in Jet Airways, was suffering from stomach cancer. The crisis surrounding the Airline had allegedly forced him to commit suicide by jumping off a building in Mumbai on April 26.

Jet Airways, on April 17, cancelled all flights, including its international flights temporarily, after failing to secure emergency funds from its lenders, according to a statement by the airlines.