Mid-day

Feb 10, New Delhi: Air Sahara employees were in for a rude shock yesterday, when the Jet Airways management told them at a meeting in Delhi’s Intercontinental Hotel that they would all be re-interviewed for their jobs.

The meeting, attended by the airport managers of the 24 airports from where Sahara flies, and senior Sahara officials, was held to discuss the future of nearly 4,400 Sahara employees.

Top Jet HR officials were present at the meeting. They briefed the Sahara managers about the company’s employment policies. “We were told that Jet Airways would conduct personal interviews of each and every staff member and only then absorb them.

The employees who are deemed ineligible will be retrenched,” said an airport manager, who attended the meeting.

Technical staff safe

The managers were told to convey Jet’s hiring policy to their respective teams at the airports.

“We were told that Jet has a stringent hiring policy and we were all liable for interviews, like novices. If they deem us fit only then will they take us on,” said the manager.

“We were told that the technical staff will not have a problem, as the they are in demand but commercial staff will have to be really good to come on board,” he added.

Roy promised security

After the Jet Airways takeover of Air Sahara in mid-January, Air Sahara employees had voiced concerns about their job security in the new organisation.

Sahara chief Subrato Roy had promised job protection to his employees who did not find a place with the new owners.

Roy had said that all the pilots, co-pilots and other engineering/technical staff would continue without trouble, since they possessed industry-specific skills.

He had assured the others that they would be absorbed into the Sahara group on the same terms and conditions and rank before the induction of the new management.

Denial

Gaurang Shetty, marketing vice-president of Jet Airways, said the meetings are an ongoing process to familiarise Sahara staff with Jet Airways as a company and it’s future plans.

He, however, denied that all the staff members would be interviewed.