India Strike Disrupts Flights, Banks, Train Services

Indian air and train services were disrupted and bank workers left their jobs today in a nationwide strike called in protest against issues ranging from rising prices to the sale of stakes in state-owned companies.
The disruptions were mostly in the eastern city of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, ruled by a communist government. Some Kolkata-bound flights from the national capital New Delhi have been canceled, Arun Arora, spokesman at Delhi International Airport Pvt., said in a phone interview.
Trade union leaders said as many as 8 million workers would join the strike, threatening the disruption of banks, airports and telecommunications, including the country's biggest state- owned telephone company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. and its affiliate Deccan Aviation Ltd. have canceled at least 15 flights to and from Kolkata because of the strike, Prakash Mirpuri, a spokesman of the carriers, said in an e-mail.
New Delhi airport is functioning normally, Arora said.
Employees staged demonstrations at many airports, said M.K. Ghoshal, general secretary of the Airports Authority Employees' Union.
The Indian Air Force is deploying 250 personnel to maintain safety and fire services at 21 airfields across the country, the defense ministry said in a release in New Delhi yesterday.
20/08/08 Bibhudatta Pradhan and Sumit Sharma/Bloomberg

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2008