Airport staff on strike

Strike action continues in Ireland, as airport workers threaten a national strike in India.

Submitted by Mike Harman on February 23, 2008

Air traffic controllers in Ireland have voted for 24-hour strikes this Thursday after several weeks of unofficial overtime ban. The strike, organised by the Balpa union, is likely to ground flights at all three airports.

In a separate dispute, workers at Aer Lingus are likely to strike early this week against cost cutting meaures. Aer Lingus has threatened to lock out around 1,800 ground stuff on Tuesday if they do not co-operate 'unreservedly' with the new measures. Aer Lingus was the focus of several strikes last year.

In India, over 18,000 workers at the country's airports are set to launch a nationwide indefinite strike on Tuesday against transfer of their jobs away from the state run Airports Authority of India to private airport operators like Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) and Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL). Workers are also protesting against the closure of airpots in Hyderabad and Bangalore as new greenfield airports are opened. MIAL and DIAL have issued statements saying they will hire scabs to break the strike and keep airport services open.

Comments