IA workers8217; strike cripples operations

MUMBAI, July 3: About 16,000 employees of the state-owned Indian Airlines went on a nationwide one-hour strike today to register their oppos...

MUMBAI, July 3: About 16,000 employees of the state-owned Indian Airlines went on a nationwide one-hour strike today to register their opposition to privatisation plans, marginally disrupting flight operations throughout the country.

The strike call, given by Air Corporation Employees8217; Union ACEU, the largest labour union in the domestic carrier, was also supported by other unions.

In Mumbai, nearly 1,500 employees participated in hour-long demonstrations held at all offices of Indian Airlines, despite the regional IA management declaring the strike illegal and threatening to deduct salaries of employees for the time they stayed away from work. About eight IA flights operating from Mumbai during this period were delayed by about 25 minutes. Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha announced in the general budget on June 1 that the government would reduce its holding in Indian Airlines 8212; which employs 22,000 people 8212; to 49 percent over a period of three years.

8220;Demonstrations were held from 10.30 am to 11.30at all Indian Airlines offices and airports against the proposed disinvestment,8221; said ACEU general secretary C D Soman, adding some flights were delayed during that period.

While the ACEU had no immediate plans to further stop work, Soman said the token one-hour strike was only the beginning of a long struggle. He said the ACEU would intensify its fight against privatisation by sending petitions to the government.

According to ACEU regional secretary, Naresh Lal, the privatisation plans of the government were against national interest, as private partners would stop operations to all unprofitable remote sectors IA caters to. 8220;More than 60 per cent routes of IA are not economically viable, but they are operated as a national and public obligation. The private operators will want to reduce such loss-making routes to the bare minimum, leading to disintegration of India,8221; Lal said. Privatisation plans have also forced various employees8217; unions to thrash out their differences and join in opposing theCentral government. With 22,000 employees, IA has the dubious distinction of having one of the highest aircraft to employees ratio in the world, and employees feel any private management will immediately resort to large-scale retrenchment. According to P D Shenoy, general secretary of Indian Airlines Officers8217; Association IAOA, the government8217;s decision was uncalled for when the airline had just registered a remarkable turnaround.

Divided opinions prevail among administrative and professionally trained technical staff of IA. Pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers feel privatisation would lead to competition, increasing their market value.