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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ef_beaten_up_at_Sahar/articleshow/3859184.cms
S'pore firm chief beaten up at Sahar
19 Dec 2008, 0313 hrs IST, Manju V, TNN
MUMBAI: In an ugly turn of events, the chief operating officer of SATS, a Singapore-based company, was beaten up on Thursday by a group of Air
India employees protesting the new ground handling policy at the Mumbai airport. No police complaint has been filed.
The incident took place at around 11 am in the international terminal of Mumbai airport where officials of NACIL (National Aviation Company of India Air India Air Transport) and Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) were to meet to discuss ground handling issues. "When Air India employees learnt about the meeting, they gathered in hundreds to protest the new ground handling policy,'' said an airport source.
"Five SATS officials had come for the meeting and the protesters pleaded with them to leave. Seeing the mob, four of them left. The chief operating officer, Karamjit Singh, refused to accept the protesters' demand and there was an altercation between him and the protesters,'' the source added. "Soon tempers were flying and the protesters got violent. Even as blows rained on Singh, other protesters tried to pacify the crowd and escorted him to safety to his vehicle. An executive director of Air India was also roughed up in the melee,'' the source said.
It was not known whether Singh sustained any grievous injuries. "We have no comments on the matter,'' said an Air India spokesperson.
Senior police inspector, Dilip Patil of Sahar airport police station said that no police case has been registered in this regard. A member of Civil Aviation Joint Action Front__formed to protest the new ground handling policy__said it was only supposed to be a slogan-shouting protest against the joint venture.
"But due to the arrogance and rude attitude of SATS COO, it ended up in manhandling,'' he alleged. SATS officials could not be contacted.
NACIL__which owns Air India__and SATS have formed a private joint venture company to undertake ground handling work in Mumbai and other airports in the country. Over 20,000 Air India employees engaged in ground handling work have been protesting the formation of this joint venture and the government policy which effected it.
According to the government policy, ground handling work in Mumbai, Delhi and four other major airports of India should be handed over to the chosen few private companies by January 1, 2009. Though there has been talks of postponing of this deadline, no official statement from the government has come so far.
Currently, a number of airlines do their own ground handling work, while the rest have either outsourced it to Air India or private companies like Cambata Aviation. To stay competitive following the implementation of new ground handling policy, Air India entered into a join venture with SATS, with both the companies holding 50% stake each. "It would make AI SATS JV a private company and so decisions like hiring staff, spending of machinery etc would not need government approval. But the move has upset AI employees who do ground handling as they would be redundant once the JV takes over. Even if they are relocated into the JV company, they fear wage cuts, reduction in service conditions etc,'' said the joint action committee member.
S'pore firm chief beaten up at Sahar
19 Dec 2008, 0313 hrs IST, Manju V, TNN
MUMBAI: In an ugly turn of events, the chief operating officer of SATS, a Singapore-based company, was beaten up on Thursday by a group of Air
India employees protesting the new ground handling policy at the Mumbai airport. No police complaint has been filed.
The incident took place at around 11 am in the international terminal of Mumbai airport where officials of NACIL (National Aviation Company of India Air India Air Transport) and Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) were to meet to discuss ground handling issues. "When Air India employees learnt about the meeting, they gathered in hundreds to protest the new ground handling policy,'' said an airport source.
"Five SATS officials had come for the meeting and the protesters pleaded with them to leave. Seeing the mob, four of them left. The chief operating officer, Karamjit Singh, refused to accept the protesters' demand and there was an altercation between him and the protesters,'' the source added. "Soon tempers were flying and the protesters got violent. Even as blows rained on Singh, other protesters tried to pacify the crowd and escorted him to safety to his vehicle. An executive director of Air India was also roughed up in the melee,'' the source said.
It was not known whether Singh sustained any grievous injuries. "We have no comments on the matter,'' said an Air India spokesperson.
Senior police inspector, Dilip Patil of Sahar airport police station said that no police case has been registered in this regard. A member of Civil Aviation Joint Action Front__formed to protest the new ground handling policy__said it was only supposed to be a slogan-shouting protest against the joint venture.
"But due to the arrogance and rude attitude of SATS COO, it ended up in manhandling,'' he alleged. SATS officials could not be contacted.
NACIL__which owns Air India__and SATS have formed a private joint venture company to undertake ground handling work in Mumbai and other airports in the country. Over 20,000 Air India employees engaged in ground handling work have been protesting the formation of this joint venture and the government policy which effected it.
According to the government policy, ground handling work in Mumbai, Delhi and four other major airports of India should be handed over to the chosen few private companies by January 1, 2009. Though there has been talks of postponing of this deadline, no official statement from the government has come so far.
Currently, a number of airlines do their own ground handling work, while the rest have either outsourced it to Air India or private companies like Cambata Aviation. To stay competitive following the implementation of new ground handling policy, Air India entered into a join venture with SATS, with both the companies holding 50% stake each. "It would make AI SATS JV a private company and so decisions like hiring staff, spending of machinery etc would not need government approval. But the move has upset AI employees who do ground handling as they would be redundant once the JV takes over. Even if they are relocated into the JV company, they fear wage cuts, reduction in service conditions etc,'' said the joint action committee member.
