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New Delhi: Airport workers across India ended their strike against airport closures late Thursday after meeting with the civil aviation minister, a union official said.
Since the strike by airport support staff began on Wednesday, flight schedules have mostly been unaffected, but rubbish had begun to pile up and toilets lay dirty.
"We have decided to call off the strike with immediate effect because the minister has assured us to look into the issue," M.K. Ghoshal, the leader of the Airport Aviation Authority employees union. He said the union would release a statement later.
The union has been protesting against the imminent closure of two airports in the southern cities of Hyderabad and Bangalore, both home to many software and outsourcing companies.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said late on Wednesday that the two old, state-run airports would be shut down, despite protests, to make way for new modern facilities run by private firms. He referred to an agreement signed between the government and the developers of the two airports earlier.
Job cuts
Neither the minister or his spokeswoman could be reached for comment on his meeting with the union.
Although authorities had earlier said there will not be any job cuts when the new airports open, the union disagreed.
The union said it feared that once private operators take over operations, staff at the old airports could lose their jobs or could be forced to shift base.
As the government has not made it clear if it would continue commercial operations at the existing Bangalore and Hyderabad airports once new airports start operating, the striking employees said the talks between them and the ministry would continue.
"If the government does not clarify the position by May 31, we would go on strike once again," said a leader of the Airports Authority Employees Union.
We have decided to call off the strike with immediate effect because the minister has assured us to look into the issue ."
M.K. Ghoshal, Union leader
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