Police take over airports as strike continues

      New Delhi: The police took over much of the running of Delhi and Mumbai airports on Thursday as striking workers protested for the second day over threatened job cuts because of privatisation. Meanwhile, airport authorities have advised passengers to carry light baggage and arrive early for flights. Snarling cars at traffic signals outside the Delhi airport was witnessed throughout the day even as protestors squatted on the road. Dipanker Mukherjee, a trade union leader, however, said that the employees were not against modernisation but would resist any kind of privatisation. "The employees want modernisation so does the government. Both want modernisation, so then there should be no problem. But what they are doing is privatisation and the employees do not want it. We will fight against any privatisation," he said. Congested waiting areas, a lack of comfortable seating, slow baggage handling and unreliable power supplies make travel a misery for the fast-expanding middle classes who are increasingly taking to the air for long-distance journeys.

Airport employees' strike enters second day
by Ruchi Gupta

    Airport employees association sources said here that the employees might close down the entry points of the airport later in the day. In view of the strike, security has been tightened at the Delhi Airport. Two flights of Indian Airlines from Banglore and Kolkata were delayed this morning.

    The protests came a day after the Centre awarded contracts to revamp and run two biggest airports in the country to consortiums involving overseas firms. The Cabinet gave its approval to the allocation of the revamp bids - announced by an empowered Group of Ministers on Tuesday - and the airports are expected to be handed over to the companies within three months. Most employees at the two airports, and the Left parties have opposed the privatisation, saying the revamp should be done by the State.

   Flights were operating normally in both cities, but in Kolkata, airport officials said that strike by ground staff had prevented flights from landing and taking off. Baggage handling, house keeping and maintenance activities have also been affected. A sharp growth in air traffic, due to the launch of several discount carriers in a booming economy, has led to passenger congestion, delayed flights and poor service standards at the run-down airports.

    Last year, New Delhi and Mumbai handled 49 percent of India's total air traffic of 50 million passengers. The Civil Aviation Ministry awarded the contract for New Delhi airport to a consortium led by GMR group which has entered into collaboration with German airport operator Fraport. For the Mumbai airport revamp, the bid was won by a group led by GVK Industries Ltd. and the Airports Company of South Africa. The two airports are estimated to require an investment of up to 200 billion rupees (4.5 billion dollars) over a five-year period to construct much-needed parallel runaways, world-class terminals and shopping facilities. Leftist leaders have said they were not against the government's plans to upgrade the two airports to international standards, but they opposed their privatisation.

Reliance goes to court on airport contract
by Gyanendra Kumar Keshri

     New Delhi: Anil Ambani owned Reliance Airport Developers who emerged unsuccessful in the Delhi and Mumbai Airports modernisation bid, today filed a petition in the High Court here challenging the government's decision to downgrade them to favour others. In its petition, Reliance Airport Developers, a company of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Enterprises (ADAE) Group, challenged the manner in which the consortium led by it was downgraded resulting in GMR-Fraport consortium being awarded the contract for Delhi Airport. According to the Reliance Airport Developers the government departed from the tender conditions just two hours before awarding the final bid which was untenable and unconstitutional.

   When asked about the unsuccessful bidders going to court, Ajay Prasad, Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation had said, "It is the right of any individual to go to court." "On our behalf we have maintained full transparency in awarding the bid and are ready to face any legal action," said Prasad. Meanwhile, the counsel for the GVK, R. Karanjawala confirmed the receipt of the copy of the petition filed by the Reliance Airport Developers and he also informed of their decision of filing a caveat tomorrow. The Centre awarded contracts to revamp and run two biggest airports in the country to consortiums involving overseas firms on Monday. The Civil Aviation Ministry awarded the contract for New Delhi airport to a consortium led by GMR group which has entered into collaboration with German airport operator Fraport. For the Mumbai airport revamp, the bid was won by a group led by GVK Industries Ltd. and the Airports Company of South Africa. The Cabinet also gave its approval to the allocation of the revamp bids - announced by an empowered Group of Ministers on Tuesday - and the airports are expected to be handed over to the companies within three months. Protesting against the privatisation of airports, the employees of the Airports Authority of India began strike at the Delhi and Mumbai Airports which continues for the second day today. The agitated employees shouted slogans against Civil Aviation Minister Praful Pratel, said to be the brain behind the privatisation move.

Central Govt selling the country by privatisation: Left unions

    New Delhi/ Mumbai/Kolkata: Several Left unions on Thursday accused the Central Government of selling the country through its privatisation moves, and warned that the latter's survival was at stake. Addressing striking workers at the New Delhi Airport, AITUC General Secretary Gurudas Das Gupta said that Left parties had 61 members in Parliament and the Government was dependent on it, "if it wants to survive it should not be doing what it is doing now." Accompanied by CITU President M K Pandhe, Gupta asserted that they would "confront" the Government in Parliament and force it to reverse its decision to "privatise" the Mumbai and Delhi airports. He said the striking workers would intensify their agitation in the coming days and indicated that Left trade union leaders may also begin a hunger strike in support of the AAI employees' stir. "Whatever may be the consequences. We will not allow him (Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel) to have his way." Gupta alleged that Patel was bringing foreign people, water, food and casinos to Indian airports. "He wants to sell our country. He is privatising the airports on one hand and taking money on the other." Stressing that it was not Patel, but the workers who were running the country, Pandhe urged all trade unions irrespective of their party affiliations, including INTUC and BMS, to come forward and extend their support to the workers. Both these leaders were talking even as the employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) continued with their agitation against the "privatisation" of Delhi and Mumbai airports for the second day today. "The employees may consider closing down the entry points of the airport later in the day," Branch Secretary of the employees association Pramod Kumar Sharma said, adding that they are waiting for the green signal from their senior leaders. Expressing sympathy with "the genuine grievances" of the striking workers of Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Government said their fears could be allayed through dialogue and it must be ensured that they do not lose jobs.

    Talking to newsmen after assuming the charge of his new office, Minister of State for Labour Chandra Sekhar Sahu said that the striking workers may have genuine grievances, "they are not agitating just like that." He asserted that it must be ensured that AAI workers do not lose jobs, adding their fears in the regard could be removed through dialogue process. To a query whether the workers would be invited for talks, he said any decision in the regard would be taken after Cabinet Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao returned to Delhi. At the same time he maintained that modernisation of airports could not be avoided. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court today declared the Airport Employees' strike against modernisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports illegal, and ordered the agitating employees not to agitate within the 500 yard of airport building. The court also warned the employees that if the strike continues, the workers will be held in contempt of court. The AAI employees continued anti-privatisation strike for the second consecutive day today to protest the government's move of handing over the modernization process to multinational consortiums GMR-Fraport and GVK-South Africa Airports who will have a revenue sharing agreement with the government. Keeping in view the strike, there was heavy security at the Delhi Airport, with personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Delhi Police deployed in large numbers.

CII expresses concern over dislocation of services at airports

    New Delhi: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Thursday expressed deep concern at the inconvenience being caused to the travelling public arising out of the strike by the employees of the Airports Authority of India at different airports in the country. While acknowledging that trade unions and employees have the legitimate right to protest and demonstrate, the CII said that such action should be done in a manner that does not lead to inconvenience to those who travel by air for business and other purposes. The CII further said that the modernization of airports in the country was long overdue and any delay in the modernization programme would hurt the Indian economy and thereby adversely affect every Indian. "There are avenues open to the concerned employees to present their point of view to government and, in turn, the government should address their legitimate concerns. But, nothing should be done which inconveniences people who need to travel on business or for personal needs and emergencies," the CII said.

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