Airport staff to continue strike

Contrary to expectations, airport employees did not call off their strike tonight, and their unions will meet tomorrow morning to consider the issue.

M K Ghoshal, convenor of AAI Employees' Joint Forum, had told reporters earlier in the day, after a 90-minute meeting with the Prime Minister, that they would seriously consider the proposal made by the PM to withdraw the strike.

The meeting was also attended by civil aviation minister Praful Patel and civil aviation secretary Ajay Prasad.

Ghoshal had also said that the government was urged to set up a tripartite committee, comprising officials of the ministry, AAI and forum representatives, to study the alternate plan for modernisation of the two airports, the future of AAI and other related issues.

Patel, while briefing reporters, said the government had no plans to privatise AAI, and even the Prime Minister had assured the forum that no AAI employee would lose his/her job.

"The decision of awarding the Delhi and Mumbai airport contracts to the GMR and GVK-led consortia was final," Patel added.

Patel expressed hope that the stir would end and the employees would respect the Prime Minister's appeal.

About the formation of a tripartite committee, he said a proposal has been given and the government would consider it.