Airport Employees call off strike

NEW DELHI (AFP) — Maintenance workers at airports in India protesting against the opening of two private facilities called off their strike Thursday after talks with the government, their union said.

About 15,000 members of the Airports Authority Employees Union went on strike Wednesday at 127 airports to protest plans to open private airports in high-tech Hyderabad and in call-centre hub Bangalore.

But union official M.K. Ghosal told reporters in New Delhi that following government assurances they would consider employees' interests, "we are withdrawing our non-cooperation agitation."

Aviation minister Praful Patel was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying that he had "assured them that interests of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and its employees will not be affected (by the opening of the two new airports)."

"In fact, we will try to make AAI more profitable," he said.

The union's decision came after the government sought a delay in the opening of the Bangalore airport, which was due to start functioning on March 30, saying air traffic control services would not be available before May 10.

"We have decided to launch the new airport May 11 in response to a communication from the Union Civil Aviation ministry," Bangalore International Airport Private Limited, which is building the airport, said in a statement.

Delays in the construction of air traffic control infrastructure and other facilities such as electricity supply and air-conditioning were other reasons for postponing the opening, the government said.

The work stoppage left garbage piling up and toilets overflowing. Baggage trolleys were also scarce and water taps began to run dry in some airports, though air traffic appeared unaffected.

The strike followed the breakdown of talks between workers and authorities over the move to close existing airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad to commercial air traffic once the privately run facilities open.

The government says privatisation is needed to modernise India's airports, with the AAI short of funds.

India needs to spend 9.6 billion dollars over five years to improve the country's airports, according to the government agency, which expects 100 million people to fly this year in India compared with 43 million in 2003-2004.