Two domestic flights and one international flight of ‘Indian’ were cancelled here today as the ground handling staff of the airline joined their counterparts, all over the country, who are on an indefinite nationwide strike in support of their charter of demands.
Sources at Dabolim airport informed that IC-919 - Bangalore-Goa, IC-164 - Mumbai- Goa and IC-597 Mumbai-Goa-Sharjah were cancelled. While IC-865 - Mumbai-Goa flight was delayed in the evening.
However the authorities managed to accommodate the stranded passengers on Air India, a combined flight going to Dubai-Kuwait at around 6.45 p.m.
The strike which was called on Tuesday night.
There are around 75 ground handling workers of ‘Indian’ at Dabolim airport and they have extended their support to the indefinite strike. The technical staff did not co-operated with the strike.
The terminal manager, Dabolim airport, Mr Utpal Baruah said that the strike announced by the Air Corporations Employees Union (ACEU) was not effective in Goa and it does not made any impact on the passengers.
He also informed that there was no untoward incident reported due to the indefinite strike.
The airport manager, Indian, Mr Ashley Rebello when contacted said that although the ground handling staff of the ‘Indian’ participated in the strike, it did not make any negative impact on its passengers travelling.
PTI adds from New Delhi: A strike by employees of state-owned carrier Indian today led to the cancellation of over 40 flights and delayed many more, leaving hundreds stranded in airports across the country, as the government declared the stir illegal and warned of a lock-out.
As 27 employees were suspended, the chief labour commissioner’s office—the disputes redressal body for the striking workers—declared the strike as illegal and warned of prosecution if it was not ended immediately.
In a letter to the Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) general secretary, Mr J K Badola, chief labour commissioner, Mr S K Mukhopadhyaya said the employees had struck work “during the pendency of conciliation proceedingsâ€.
This had rendered the strike illegal and made the ACEU liable for prosecution under the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, he said.
Mr Mukhopadhyaya asked the ACEU to come forward for “meaningful dialogue†at the earliest to resolve the issue of wage revision and other matters.
As hundreds of people were stranded in airports after Indian flights were cancelled or delayed by several hours, the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Praful Patel warned of stern action against the employees if they did not withdraw the strike.
A proposed Rs 267-crore package to clear the arrears of Indian employees “can also be reconsidered†if the stir was not called off, he said.
Indian cancelled over 40 flights at airports in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Kerala, Goa and other cities. Many more flights were delayed by several hours. Indian’s services to the Gulf and South-East Asia were also affected, officials said.
-Navhind Times, Goa Daily
