The Hindu : Front Page : No protests at airport gates: court

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 03, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

No protests at airport gates: court

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained employees of the Airports Authority of India from organising agitations within 500 metres of the entry points of airports and at the gates of the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan here, which houses the AAI headquarters.

On a suit filed by the AAI, Justice Swatanter Kumar said: "The employees are restrained from continuing with the strike in a manner that would obstruct the functioning of the domestic and international airports and the AAI headquarters here."

However, the court allowed the employees to organise dharnas, demonstrations and meetings beyond 500 metres of the premises. It said the workers had caused obstruction and caused inconvenience to the public at large. "The right to strike has to be balanced with the larger public interest."

The court issued notice to the AAI Employees' Union, the Airports Authority of India Officers' Association and others returnable on April 18.

In 2004, the High Court restrained the employees from going on mass casual leave to protest against the Government's move to privatise the Delhi and Mumbai airports.

Strike enters second day

The nationwide protest by AAI employees against the decision to privatise the airports continued for the second day on Thursday. But flight operations remained unaffected at most places.

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