Pilots cancel strike plan as Jet clears salaries till December

Jet Airways’ pilots on Sunday have called off a decision to go on strike over unpaid salaries after the airline paid their December salaries. They have given the airline time till April 15 to clear the remaining three months’ salary arrears.

The decision was taken at a meeting called by the National Aviators’ Guild (NAG), a lobbying body of Jet pilots. “NAG is going to wait till April 15 to clear all their dues,” the guild said in a communication. “In this regard they are going to send a mail to the CEO.”

Jet Airways chief executive Vinay Dube, in a letter on Saturday had told company employees that the resolution plan to revive the airline was taking longer than expected. “These are complex processes and it has taken longer than we had expected and as such we are only able to remit your remaining salary for December 2018,” he had said. “We realise that this remittance does not lift the financial hardship each of you are facing and we do not take your sacrifices for granted. We continue to work on additional funding on an urgent basis and shall advise you about the release of the remaining salary arrears as the funds come in.” On Friday, several pilots wrote to Dube asking for leave of absence from April 1 as they hadn’t got salaries from January to March and for 87% of December. NAG members said they would go on strike from April 1. Jet has defaulted on loan payments in India and overseas, grounded planes and laid off staff.