Aviation industry staff to protest ground-handling policy

New Delhi: Two major aviation industry unions, claiming to represent over 20,000 staffers of Air India nationwide, will launch an agitation from Tuesday to protest against the government's policy to allow foreign firms to give ground-handling services through joint ventures.
The decision was taken by the Air Corporation Employees Union and the Aviation Industry Employees Guild at a recent convention, where they created the Civil Aviation Joint Action Front (CAJAF) to carry out the protest action, including demonstrations, walkouts and mass casual leave.
CAJAF Secretary V S Deka told PTI that the new policy allowed the "entire ground-handling activities at metro airports, with particular reference to Mumbai and Delhi airports, to be handled by foreign-based multinational airport handling agencies taking the route of joint ventures".
He said this policy "undermined" the capabilities of Air India, which has been providing these services over the past 75 years.
The Union Cabinet on December 4 decided to refer a proposal to allow Air India to set up joint ventures with a leading Singaporean company for ground-handling and cargo operations at various airports, to a Committee of Secretaries.
It's believed a JV firm or firms will be allowed to provide these services at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and some other airports in the country.
13/12/08 PTI/The Hindu

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Categories: Airports Dec 2008