The Hindu : National : CITU, AITUC threaten strike

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Wednesday, Feb 01, 2006

National

National

CITU, AITUC threaten strike

Special Correspondent

"Confrontation is inevitable"

KOLKATA: Leaders of the two major Left trade unions — the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) — have threatened a "larger movement including strikes" if the Centre continues "going ahead with its plans of privatisation of airports." Other central trade unions, they expect, will join the movement.

Tuesday's opening of financial bids made by short-listed private consortia by the Government for the modernisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports is being perceived by leaders of the two trade unions as a step towards the privatisation of airports.

"Confrontation with the Government is inevitable given the way the Government is going ahead with its airport privatisation plans," Gurudas Dasgupta, all-India general secretary, AITUC, told The Hindu from Contai in West Bengal.

"We are being forced to go into a bigger movement including strikes and will be discussing the developments with other central trade unions whose participation in the agitation programme is expected," he said.

The Government has decided to open the bids of private parties and by doing so is inviting a confrontation that could have national political ramifications, all-India secretary, CITU, Jiban Roy, said from New Delhi.

"If there is a call for strikes it would obviously not be restricted to the airports and could develop into the biggest anti-Government protest by trade unions against privatisation in recent times," he said. He also warned against "any move by the Centre to impose the Essential Services Maintenance Act."

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