The talks between Kigfisher Airlines’ employees and management failed to bring any solution on Wednesday.
The engineers and pilots of the beleaguered airline, who have been on strike, said that they will continue their agitation.
“The talks have failed as the management told us that they do not have money to pay our salaries. Hence, our agitation will continue. Kingfisher flights from at least Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore will not be allowed to take off,” said Capt. Vikrant Patkar, a Mumbai-based pilot, after a meeting with the airline’s chief executive and chief operating officers.
Around 500 employees, including pilots and engineers, have been on strike demanding an immediate payment of salaries. They have not been paid salaries for the past seven months.
“If child labour is a crime then unpaid labour is also a crime. As far as the pilots are concerned, they have their hands down in their pockets and the engineers have their tools down,” said Capt. Patkar and added that if the management wanted to have “unsafe skies” by taking other engineers and pilots, they are free to do so.
With the pilots and engineers taking a strong stance, the airline faces a potentially prolonged shutdown until it clears the salary backlog.
On Monday, the airline declared a partial lockout with all flights being suspended till October 4 and said it will decide on Thursday whether to lift a partial lockout on Friday.
The airline has been facing severe financial crisis with banks together having an exposure of nearly Rs 7,000 crore in the airline.
Kingfisher now has the smallest market share among the six main carriers in India.
Stocks of the airline plunged on the bourses on Wednesday and hit the lower circuit, the third straight session. The company’s shares closed at Rs 14.60, down 4.89 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange.