Click to play videoNew Delhi: Union Minister of State for Labour (Independent charge) Oscar Fernandes is clueless about Jet Airways terminating the services of 850 employees.
"I have no idea at all. I have just returned from Mali attending a meeting of labour ministers. No one from Labour Ministry has informed me about this issue," Fernandes replied when asked about retrenched Jet employees.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel also added the Government had all its sympathies with the jobless employees but it could do little in the matter.
"I have full sympathies with the employees who have the situation of having to face losing of jobs but it is an HR issue of the airline and the government can do little about it," Praful Patel said, adding, “We appeal to all to reason. We are doing everything in consultation with the state and Central government”.
Asked if Air India would also consider cutting jobs in the wake of the crisis in the country's aviation sector, he replied in the negative.
"No...Air India is not going to have any job cuts. Certainly it (the aviation crisis) will affect the growth plans, it will affect the future employment opportunities which would have come the way of Air India in case the aviation industry was in a much better financial health," Patel said, adding, "But as of now I do not have the luxury to say beyond the fact that those who are working for the Air India shall continue to do so and we shall not have any issue of people being laid off," he said.
Jet Airways had on Tuesday terminated the services of some of its cabin crew and customer care executives.
Jet Airways CEO Wolfgang Prock Schauer and Executive Director Saroj K Datta addressed a press conference on Wednesday and announced that 1,100 more jobs would be cut.
The jobless employees are now accusing the airline management of not giving then proper notice and taking the decision arbitrarily.
They have also sought the help of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray in the fight against the airline’s management.
"We will block all Jet Airways flights and activities of Jet if these people are not taken back. We will hold a meeting with Jet Airways personnel on Thursday and request them to reconsider their decision to lay off the employees,” Raj said after some retrenched employees met him at his residence on Wednesday.
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