Two days away from the Jet Airways’s 26th anniversary on May 5, employees gathered at Azad Maidan on Friday to conduct a silent protest the government’s inaction in helping the cash-strapped airline.
Dressed in their uniforms, the employees held placards which read ‘Hear Our Cry, Save Jet Airways,’ ‘We pay loads of tax, please don’t get us under the axe,’ and the like to protest the situation the airline is in.
While there is still a question mark on whether Jet will restart operations, the employees sought help from investors and the government.
Geetanjali Parlekar, a flight captain said, “We had lot of hopes from Narendra Modi’s government, they had promised to create the jobs, the dream of ‘Make in India,’ do they care about the people who are losing their jobs? Where’s the Chowkidar now? We want our salaries [and we want] Jet to fly again.”
Sandip Varaskar, a cabin crew for the airline said, “Today, we have gathered here to seek government’s attention towards us. Jet Airways is not just an airline but it’s our life and our families are dependent upon it. ”
From flight captains to the loaders, everyone joined the protest. “The financial constraint we are facing in this situation have robbed us of our sleep. The home loans, fees for our children’s education, how are we going to pay them? We are scared of what will happen if we actually go jobless,” Parshuram Sawant said.
The four bidders chosen by State Bank of India-led consortium of lenders are expected to announce the final bids by May 10. As of now, the employees have no clarity about their future and the pending dues. The employees are still hopeful that the investors will come forward and save the airline.