Salary dues: Jet Airways pilots not to do additional duties
Mumbai, Nov 19 : The Jet Airways' pilots have threatened not to perform additional duties from next month if their salary dues were not cleared by November 30, an airline source said Monday.
Besides, the airline's domestic pilots body National Aviator's Guild (NAG), which has so far allegedly been soft on the issue, is likely to meet here on Tuesday to discuss the prevailing financial situation at the carrier, it said.
The Naresh Goyal-controlled carrier has been reporting losses since last three successive quarters and defaulting on salary payments to a section of its staff.
"Pilots have decided that that they will not perform any additional duty and adhere only to the roster from December 1 if all salary dues are not cleared by November 30. The decision has been communicated to the management verbally," the source told PTI.
Queries sent to Jet Airways on the issue did not yield any response.
Around 1,600 Jet Airways pilots along with the cash-starved airline's engineers and senior management officials have been paid only 50 per cent of the September salary.
They are yet to receive the remaining 50 per cent of the month's (September) salary, besides the full salary of October.
"Almost 15 per cent employees have not been receiving their salaries on time and I am sure they are less than happy," Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube had acknowledged during the post Q2 earnings analysts call last week.
According to the source, as against 75 to 80 hours of flying per month, the Jet Airways' pilots have been flying up to 90 hours per month by taking up over-time duties as there is an acute shortage of pilots, particularly on the Boeing 737 fleet.
Notably, as many as 10 domestic flights were cancelled abruptly from Mumbai on Sunday due to shortage of pilots, though the airline attributed the cancellation to "operational reasons".
After posting a loss of Rs 1,323 crore in the June quarter, Jet Airways announced in September that it will pay pilots, engineers and senior management in two tranches--11th and 26th of every month -- till November, a schedule which it has failed to stick to.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
