Kingfisher Cuts Trainee Salary

After dramatic announcements by Jet Airways and Air India earlier in the week, Vijay Mallya-owned Kingfisher Airlines today decided to cut the salaries of 50 trainee co-pilots.

A spokesperson for the airline said the decision was taken as part of a cost-cutting exercise triggered by the “ongoing turbulence in the aviation industry”. He refused to spell out the extent of the cuts.

However, a trainee co-pilot with the airline said they got a stipend of only Rs 20,000 a month. “It makes better sense to take up a call centre job after this pay cut,” he added.

“Many of my friends are scouting around for better options now that the future in the aviation business looks bleak.”

The spokesperson for the airline said the co-pilots would remain on the payroll and enjoy all the other benefits and privileges given to the other employees, including medical benefits and travel privileges.

On Tuesday, Jet stunned the industry by terminating the services of 850 cabin crew — a day after it signed a broad alliance with Kingfisher. Jet followed that up with an announcement that it intended to sack another 1,050 staff. Under pressure from several political parties, Jet rescinded the orders but is now planning to cut salaries.

The Kingfisher cost-cutting plan has not come as a shock to its pilots. Sources said the decision was taken after some of the airline’s 85 planes were grounded. “We knew it was just a matter of time before we would be targeted. Last month, 300 Kingfisher employees lost their jobs but without any fanfare,” said the 23-year-old trainee pilot.

A trainee pilot is fresh out of a flying school and holds a commercial pilot’s licence. He is recruited by the airline to undergo simulator training on the aircraft that he will eventually fly. The trainee has to either pay for the cost of training or sign a five-year bond if the cost is borne by the airline.

Kingfisher is unlikely to cut the salaries of its line pilots and commanders but there could be other cost-cutting measures that would target other categories of employees.

A trainee pilot is promoted to the rank of a junior co-pilot in about a year’s time. Sources said a junior co-pilot earns about Rs 1.25 lakh a month — so many may still be tempted to stick on with the airline in the hope that the ominous clouds will clear.

courtesy : The Telegraph









Increase
your Website & blog Traffic within minutes click to know more

Read more...

Kingfisher Lay off Job Cut: Kingfisher Fires 300 employees

The most glamourous and the most news making Airline company of India, Kingfisher Airlines, has decided to go for a job cut or employee layoff or firing. Along with the IT & Financial companies across the globe going for a massive lay off, Kingfisher Airlines is the latest on to join the bandwagon. It was Wipro Layoffs followed by Satyam Layoff, then
Hewlett packard HP, and now the most talked about Indian Airline Company has decided to give Pink Slips or decided to fire Employees.



The most happening airline company of India, Kingfisher Airlines, has decided to go for a massive layoff. Due to volatile fuel prices burining a hole in the pocket of Airline companies, they are forced to go for cost cutting measures. In the aviation industry, Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines is cutting 300 jobs, besides returning surplus aircrafts.As per the news, the developments are a part of a concerted company-wide effort aimed at minimising the impact of the ongoing turbulence faced by the aviation industry, Kingfisher Airlines has, over the last six months, embarked on a series of restructuring measures designed to achieve cost savings and rationalisation and operational efficiencies - a company spokesperson said.



These Kingfisher Layoffs Job Cuts are a step in implementing of these guidelines. These 300 employees have chosen to move on and have parted ways with the company and/or put in their resignations," he added.



The carrier is also returning surplus aircrafts to lessors, which are now redundant consequent upon route rationalisation.



"We have already returned two aircraft and are closely monitoring aircraft utilisation," the spokesperson said.



This move was expected from the in the aviation inductry by the Kingfisher Airline Company. Recent takeover of Deccan Airways which is now known as Simplifly Deccan, and the volatile ATF prices were bound to have its effect on the aviation companies. Elaborating the reasons behind downsizing of staff, he said as the process of integration of the two entities (Kingfisher and Simplifly Deccan) nears completion, the carrier examined the complete organisation structure of the airline and mapped the skill sets of the existing talent pool with the projected talent requirements of the company.



"Many employees were counselled on their career path progression and best utilisation of their individual skill sets," he said.



As a token of goodwill, the carrier is offering all these employees a severance package equal to two months gross salary for every completed year of service (subject to a minimum of 3 months pay-out), the spokesperson said.Kingfisher Airlines currently operates 424 domestic flights and two international flights with a total of 86 aircrafts.




Increase your blog Traffic within minutes click to know more

Read more...