Kingfisher Airlines Staff Raise Issue Of Unpaid Salaries In A Letter To PM Modi!

Former employees of the inoperative carrier, Kingfisher Airlines, have sent an ‘open’ letter to the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, to compensate them for their unpaid salaries.

The letter also questions why dues owed by the owner of Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallya, to banks were given preference over the unpaid salaries of the airline employees.

In the letter, they have written that Vijay Mallya hasn’t paid salaries, gratuity or compensation to his Indian employees but has compensated his employees based in London and other foreign countries.

Stating that the system has failed them, they have written that they still get notices from the Income Tax Department. They also said that they are unable to withdraw their Provident Funds (PF) due to the ongoing liquidation process of the airline.

Referring to the government’s attempt to bring back Mr.Mallya to India, the letter pointed out that non-payment of salaries is a crime in London. It also said that a Kingfisher employee’s wife had committed suicide over unpaid salaries, and that should be enough grounds for his extradition.

The letter was sent a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a charge sheet against Mr. Mallya in a special court in Mumbai.

The charge sheet has alleged that he used his Force India Formula 1 team and IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore for laundering money. It is estimated that he laundered over Rs 3700 crores worth of bank loans.

With ED’s charge sheet, there is a huge possibility that the Indian government may declare Mr.Mallya a fugitive.