Kingfisher Employees Union urge Yuvraj Singh to reject RCB

Yuvraj Singh

While the employees of Vijay Mallya owned Kingfisher Airlines have not been paid their dues for the last 18 months, in the recently concluded 2014 IPL Player Auctions held in Bangalore, Royal Challengers Bangalore – also owned by Vijay Mallya – spent a whopping 14 crores to rope in Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh.

Yuvraj is set to receive an open letter from the Kingfisher Employees Union, one in which the employees have urged him not to play for RCB. It would be interesting to note Yuvraj’s response once he receives the letter from the employees of the now grounded Kingfisher airlines.

Reports suggest that the employees’ open letter requests Yuvraj to reject Mallya’s offer. The letter states:

“Dear Mr. Yuvraj, we all the Kingfisher Airlines employees are your fan and not only us but full nation prayed for your speedy recovery from the critical illness and we are happy that you are not only maintaining your form but also progressing in career. Mr. Vijay Mallya  has purchased you for 14 crores …we have not been paid by the Kingfisher Airlines for the last 18 months.

“We have not only exhausted all our savings but also we are under the burden of huge debts which we have taken from our relatives/banks by mortgaging our property/gold.  The case is worse for lower staff those who are forced to stay in slums as destitute. Mr. Mallya says that he does not have money to pay us whereas he is spending crores in IPL/Formula 1/Kingfisher Calendars. It’s now up to you to decide whether to turn a deaf ear to us and work for such a cruel/inhuman person and to invite negativity to your life or to refuse his employment on moral grounds.”

Whether Yuvraj has seen this letter or reacted to it is still unknown, but this 14-crore deal is probably the biggest in Yuvraj’s professional career. It has also come at a time when he’s fighting to revive his international career. Yuvraj has welcomed the opportunity to work with RCB and has even said that “RCB will be the place where he will be able to express himself completely as a T20 specialist”.

Reports have further suggested that Mallya’s personal wealth is used for funding the cricket, F1 and the calendars. The airlines has been in a mess ever since it’s launch, back in 2005, with the latest being a loss of Rs 822.42 crores in three months.