JET AIRWAYS FIRED AND RE-HIRED THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES AFTER MUCH DRAMA IN LATE 2008. SO WAS THE INCIDENT A WAKE-UP CALL FOR THOSE WHO DISBELIEVED IN THE POWER OF EMPLOYEE ACTIVISM?
Many would take it as a minor hiccup today, but Oman Airways’ Neha Jalan is still trying to bury her hag-ridden experience on the night of October 13, 2008. Then an air hostess with Jet Airways (for over a year), she has lived the experience of what one can call “retrenchment mismanagement”; luckily, she only just about lived it. Late that Monday night, at about 10pm, she received a message on her phone. It was from a friend, Kunal. The message read: “I’ve been derostered”. Kunal had been with the airlines for the past five months. Neha then called up the Area Manager Vipul Jalan who was in the rostering department at Jet’s New Delhi office. On inquiring whether a similar fate was in store for her, he replied: “Don’t disturb us right now. There are too many calls. And don’t worry, you’re in the safe zone.” That was some relief; but only just.
Neha had to report for an outbound domestic flight at the New Delhi domestic airport at 4 am. Usually her cab arrived an hour before the reporting time. But that morning, even at five past three, the cab hadn’t arrived. “I called up the rostering office and they informed me that it was just a logistics hitch,” recalls Neha. The cab arrived soon after. She met a fellow crew member, who received a call during their 40-minute long drive to the airport. After the call ended, he said, “My friend’s cab didn’t arrive. He’s been told that he has been derostered!”
There is a typical smile on her face today, as she recalls those moments, but one would lay no wager on the fact that she was at all comfort then. Says Priyanka Dubey, who was then an air hostess with IndiGo, “Jet’s crews were being sacked, without any logical reason. The authorities just told them that they lacked skills and the airline is unable to take them on board! We all were frightened. Thankfully, nothing of this sort happened at IndiGo.”
But it wasn’t the first time that Jet Airways had taken a mass layoff decision. After its merger with Sahara, it had quietly doled out pink slips to 1,200 of its employees. Even its low-cost arm JetLite had given out a “separation plan” to another 700 in July 2009. Twice it had done much to lighten its boat, twice without much media frenzy. It tried a third time with 1,000 more. This time, the bear trap got its foot!
Many would take it as a minor hiccup today, but Oman Airways’ Neha Jalan is still trying to bury her hag-ridden experience on the night of October 13, 2008. Then an air hostess with Jet Airways (for over a year), she has lived the experience of what one can call “retrenchment mismanagement”; luckily, she only just about lived it. Late that Monday night, at about 10pm, she received a message on her phone. It was from a friend, Kunal. The message read: “I’ve been derostered”. Kunal had been with the airlines for the past five months. Neha then called up the Area Manager Vipul Jalan who was in the rostering department at Jet’s New Delhi office. On inquiring whether a similar fate was in store for her, he replied: “Don’t disturb us right now. There are too many calls. And don’t worry, you’re in the safe zone.” That was some relief; but only just.
Neha had to report for an outbound domestic flight at the New Delhi domestic airport at 4 am. Usually her cab arrived an hour before the reporting time. But that morning, even at five past three, the cab hadn’t arrived. “I called up the rostering office and they informed me that it was just a logistics hitch,” recalls Neha. The cab arrived soon after. She met a fellow crew member, who received a call during their 40-minute long drive to the airport. After the call ended, he said, “My friend’s cab didn’t arrive. He’s been told that he has been derostered!”
There is a typical smile on her face today, as she recalls those moments, but one would lay no wager on the fact that she was at all comfort then. Says Priyanka Dubey, who was then an air hostess with IndiGo, “Jet’s crews were being sacked, without any logical reason. The authorities just told them that they lacked skills and the airline is unable to take them on board! We all were frightened. Thankfully, nothing of this sort happened at IndiGo.”
But it wasn’t the first time that Jet Airways had taken a mass layoff decision. After its merger with Sahara, it had quietly doled out pink slips to 1,200 of its employees. Even its low-cost arm JetLite had given out a “separation plan” to another 700 in July 2009. Twice it had done much to lighten its boat, twice without much media frenzy. It tried a third time with 1,000 more. This time, the bear trap got its foot!
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine
IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM B-School Detail
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine
IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM B-School Detail
