New Delhi, June 13
The operations of public sector air carrier Indian were severely disrupted across the country today after more than 12,000 employees of the airline went on a flash strike last night demanding better wages.The stand off between the government, which termed the strike as illegal and warned of a lock-out, and the employees union is expected to continue tomorrow also with the unfazed union leaders saying that the strike would continue till their demand for wage revision was met by the management.
The government later at night declared the strike as illegal with the chief labour commissioner being authorised to prosecute the employees under the Industrial Dispute Act.
The strike left hundreds of passengers in airports across the country stranded for hours with none to take care of their baggage, ticketing and other facilities. The situation became worse as the cabin crew joined the strike, leading to a complete breakdown in services.
While the airline officially accepted that about 40 per cent of the flights were affected due to the strike, the employees union claimed that more than 75 per cent of the flights could not be operated. There was chaos at airports all over the country. At the domestic airport in New Delhi,
from where 45 Indian flights a day operate, harried passengers waited for hours to get their bags checked, scanned and for their flights to take off. Hundreds of passengers were also stranded at Mumbai’s Chhattrapati Shivaji Airport’s domestic terminal with flights being delayed or baggage going missing and so was the situation at Kolkata where there were also reports of some violence.
Sources said the government would even consider a lockout if the strike continued beyond tonight.
Civil aviation minister Praful Patel said 23 staffers had been served suspension notices. The minister, briefing the media on the strike, said the government and the management of Indian had taken a serious view of the situation.
Air Corporation Employee Union general secretary J.K. Badola said the strike would continue and accused Patel of conspiring to help private airlines.
“We will never succumb to the minister’s pressure. We will face suspension than withdrawing the strike,” he said.
The minister said the ministry and the Indian management had agreed to pay a package of Rs 267 crore as wage arrears since 2000. The union had demanded wage revision since 1997. He said an agreement on this issue was finalised between the union and the management.
“Also career progression to bring the employees broadly on a par to what they had demanded had been agreed on. However, just before the final agreement could be reached the employees have gone on a strike without giving any notice to the management,” he said.
Patel said the government might now reconsider the proposed Rs 267 crore package to clear the arrears of Indian employees if the strike was not withdrawn.
