Click to play videoMumbai: Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal on Thursday night said all laid-off employees would be reinstated. He said his decision, which has been welcomed by the Union Labour Minister, among others, has nothing to do with political pressure.
"I request all of you to start your work from tomorrow morning," Goyal said on Friday night in Mumbai.
The employees who were terminated started celebrating as soon as the news of their reinstatement trickled out. What seemed impossible just a few hours ago was now a reality.
"This is unbelievable. We have got our jobs back," an employee who was terminated said. Another employee thanked Goyal. "We would like to thank Mr Goyal and whatever step he took was in favour of the crew."
But was it just a Chairman's gift as the excited employees would like to believe or was there more to it?
"I am not doing it under any pressure from anybody, neither from within the management nor from the outside," Goyal clarified.
However, when Goyal was asked about the lay-off in Hyderabad on Thursday, he had said: "We all want to make money so that we can remain healthy and make our shareholders happy."
Jet's U-turn has more to it than meets the eye. Sources say, with the Winter Session of Parliament beginning the issue would have given the Left parties the perfect opportunity to attack the government.
And in no mood for another bout, not only did the Labour Ministry involve itself but orders in all probability came directly from the Prime Minister's Office.
"We felt that whatever be the financial condition of the company, we would not like anybody to leave the company or for them to be removed from the service. We would like everybody to start working from tomorrow," Union Labour and Employment Minister Oscar Fernandes said.
So even as the employees continued celebrating till early morning, questions still remain. Has the government intervention brought-in the long pending financial relief? Also will other airlines too reconsider their decisions now?
(With inputs from Subuhi Khan)
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