Airport stir may ground your flying

A major, countrywide strike by airport employees may hit air services in the country from February 26.

Agitated over the "failure" of the government to fulfill its 19-point charter of demands, the Airport Authority Employees' Union will go on strike if talks between them and Civil Aviation officials fail on Friday.The AAEU’s list of grievances includes the closure of existing airports at Bangalore and Hyderabad as well as other service matters.AAEU General Secretary M K Ghoshal was quoted as saying by agencies that despite several meetings and assurances, nothing has been done about their demands such as issues related to the Airport Authority of India employees at Delhi and Mumbai airports, arbitrary decisions of closing of airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore and non-holding of tripartite committee meeting in this regard.Employees at all airports, barring Delhi and Mumbai, will jin the strike and non-executive staff, both operational and non-operational, will stop work.The AAEU, on February 12, staged a nationwide relay ast to protest the government's decision to close the existing airports being run by AAI in Hyderabad and Bangalore and other employees-related issues.