Workers moved court against a circular asking airlines to choose one ground-handling agency.
The hopes of at least 50,000 airline employees came crashing down on Monday, after Bombay High Court refused to grant a stay on the September 2007 circular, issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), asking airlines to choose one ground handling agency through competitive bidding by the airport operator.
Employees’ unions of Gulf Air, British Airways and Saudi Arabian Airlines had moved court, challenging the government policy of outsourcing such services to third parties on a revenue-sharing basis. On Monday, their counsel DD Madon argued that ground realities would also have to be considered prior to the implementation of this circular as the livelihood of thousands was at stake. Out of 50,000 foreign airline employees, 17,000 are employed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
The vacation bench of Justice Roshan Dalvi and Justice RP Sondurbaldota were of the view that it was a question of national security, and the DGCA had the right to take every necessary step to ensure that.
“When they (airline employees) got their livelihood, somebody might have lost theirs. These are contractual requirements,” Justice Dalvi said. The court said that the staff could continue with their job until the DGCA was in a position to take complete charge of ground-handling operations. Asking the Mumbai International Airport Limited and other respondents in the case to file their replies, the court adjourned the hearing till February 2.
Additional solicitor general Rajendra Raghuvanshi told the court that the DGCA was in complete control and would be able to handle the security provisions at the airport.
Nationwide strike: Come New Year’s Day, Air India employees would go on a nationwide indefinite strike against the government’s new ground-handling policy. “From December 31 midnight, we would strike work,” said George Abraham, general secretary, Air India Employees Guild.
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