Karnataka - Bangalore   

Indian, Air India employees against closure of HAL Airport

Bangalore: Just as the demand for retaining the HAL Airport for commercial operations is gathering steam, Indian and Air India employees have come out in support of the cause by calling for a nationwide strike.

All seven major unions of the National Aviation Company of India Limited (which owns Air India and Indian fleets) have called for a nationwide strike on March 18 to oppose the closure of the HAL Airport and the management’s joint venture with Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) for ground-handling services at the new airport in Devanahalli.

A joint action committee comprising unions of pilots, engineers, technicians, aircraft employees, officers, cabin crew and air corporation employees has served the strike notice on the management.

Following this, the management has started consultations with the committee representatives to convince them to withdraw the strike call.

Air Corporation Employees’ Union general secretary K.N. Chikkanna told The Hindu that there was no logic in the decision to close the existing airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad, considering the growth in air traffic. The committee had, in a memorandum, demanded that the existing airports in the two cities be allowed to operate domestic airlines while shifting the operations of only international airlines to the new airports.

The committee is also against Air India’s tie-up with SATS for ground-handling services at the Devanahalli airport. It has also raised its voice against the joint venture and has sought copies of the agreement.

Mr. Chikkanna said that the management had been avoiding the disclosure of terms and conditions of the agreement and hence the employees were apprehending that the joint venture could harm their interests.

Claiming that ground-handling services would increase their work burden, Mr. Chikkanna said that the employees would not agree to work beyond the stipulated seven hours and 35 minutes a day. Mr. Chikkanna said that the employees would have to spend at least two to three hours to reach the new airport from the city and to return even if the company provided transport facility.

“Early departure and late arrival for work would double the scheduled working hours. We are not prepared to work extra hours,” he said.

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