After salary delays, Jet staff face uncertainty over Mediclaim

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS): Staff of now grounded Jet Airways are a worried lot — after months of salary delays they are facing uncertainty over extension of their group Mediclaim provided by the company.

This has added to their woes as many employees depend on corporate mediclaim for treatment of life-threatening diseases such as cancer in the family.

The group mediclaim provided by the company expires on July 31, 2019. The general insurer Oriental Insurance Company Ltd provides group mediclaim facility to Jet staff.

“We have been informed that the group mediclaim will expire in July. There is no communication over its renewal. This is a big issue for many colleagues who depend on corporate mediclaim,” an employee said.

Another employee said the airline had in March given the option of augmenting the existing medical policy by making additional contribution towards the top-up.

“Since enough people did not subscribe to the offer, the proposal was shelved. The scheme required a minimum number of subscribers,” he said.

The high-paid staff of Jet Airways including pilots, engineers and senior managers have not been paid their salaries since January this year. This has caused huge financial hardship to them.

They have repeatedly appealed for payment of salaries, but the management has expressed its inability to clear any dues.

Ailing Jet technician commits suicide

An ailing senior technician working with the beleagured Jet Airways committed suicide by jumping off his building terrace, police said here on Saturday.

“Shailesh Singh was suffering from cancer and was in great pain. He had been discharged from hospital after undergoing chemotherapy earlier this week. He ended his life on Friday afternoon,” Tulinj Police Station Senior Inspector Daniel Ben told IANS.

To a question, Ben said the police are not aware of the Singh family facing any financial problems due to the airlines crisis.

Singh, 45, is survived by his wife, two sons, including one working in the airlines’ operations department, and two daughters, and the police have registered an accidental death case with investigations underway.