Indian airline staff go on indefinite HUNGER strike over a year's unpaid wages

  • Defunct airline grounded in October 2012 over safety and financial problems
  • Unpaid staff desperate after appeal to Government for assistance
  • On strike outside Mumbai headquarters

By Sara Smyth for the Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

Desperate: 70 employees at the grounded airline have started a hunger protest in an attempt to get their wages from the airline

Desperate: 70 employees at the grounded airline have started a hunger protest in an attempt to get their wages from the airline

Staff at a Mumbai-based airlines have gone on hunger strike over a year's worth of unpaid wages.

70 employees at Kingfisher Airlines, which was grounded in October 2012 because of financial problems, are protesting outside the company's headquarters in Mumbai, according to Bloomberg News.

Staff have not been paid since August 2012, and are said to be desperate after appealing to the Government for help.

Bloomberg reports that the hunger strike is indefinite and will not be called off until immediate payment of pending salaries is made.

Kingfisher Airlines was suspended in October 2012 after it failed to address the regulator's concerns about its finances and safety.

In 2012, the company was in £641,000,000 debt to 17 lenders. Part of its fleet had to be grounded and staff went on strike.

Airlines' CEO Sanjay Agarwal is believed to be at the offices trying to persuade the employees to end the action, according to TravelMole.

Promises of a re-launch have been made since February and a plan to restart the company was presented to Indian authorities in April.

Senior management at Kingfisher Airlines, including the company's chief information officer, have recently resigned from the company.

Management: Dr Vijay Mallya is Chairman of the defunct airline. He is accused of failing to pay his staff for almost a year

Management: Dr Vijay Mallya is Chairman of the defunct airline. He is accused of failing to pay his staff for almost a year


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