Jet management hints at gloomy days ahead

New Delhi:  A day after Jet Airways grounded its operations completely, reality is fast dawning upon over 20,000 Jet Airways employees.

While staff had in the last few weeks were getting informally advised to take leave, senior managers have started sending formal emails to stay back home.

"Rotation shifts are being discontinued except third party roster. All other personnel are asked to report in general shift. Declared holidays may be utilized except for the third party roster," one of Jet Airways' manager in Delhi wrote to the subordinates.

Sending out the advisory, he told staff that such a suggestion was based on information from his boss and that formal mails will follow soon.

"Stores, tool room and GSD will remain operational. Night support will be for store and tool room on skeletal basis," the manager wrote.

Hundreds of airline staff from across the departments gathered at Jantar Mantar in the Capital on Thursday to appeal to the government for doing "something" for reviving the carrier.

Facing salary delays for months now and the looming prospect of joblessness, the staff of the now-grounded Jet Airways blamed the Modi government and lenders for the collapse of the airline.

The airline sources told IANS that some of the members representing technical personnel met CEO Vinay Dube to understand the "real position".

The senior management is learnt to have hinted that the issues related to salary delays would further worsen.

"Even if bidding process for stake sales concludes in the second week of May, it will take another 3-4 months in fund infusion. This effectively means that employees should not expect salaries in coming months," the airline CEI is learnt to have told the executives.