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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, FEB 18: After over a fortnight of near inaction, the Government today decided to act firmly against the striking Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs), sacking six of their leaders, and filing FIRs against them as well, for offences committed under ESMA and the 1982 Air Safety Act. And while the ATC Guild threatened to intensify their strike, the Government stuck to its earlier stance that it would bring in the air force and navy to man the air traffic control.
Though the ATCs, taken by surprise by the Government action, are yet to formally chalk out a plan of action, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) began putting into operation its contingency plan from around 1 pm today, deploying senior ATCs from the executive cadre to man the control towers. Union Aviation Minister Ananth Kumar also had an hour-long meeting with Defence Minister George Fernandes this morning, where a decision was taken to put Air Force and Navy personnel on alert, to take over operations if the ATCs tried to disrupt airtraffic.
Addressing a press conference after the sackings, Kumar described the 17-day ATC strike as an agonizing experience and made it clear that the Government would not tolerate any more agitation. “The ATCs were holding the nation to ransom, the life and security of people was under threat; this cannot be tolerated,” Kumar said. He promised more stringent measures if the agitation continued, including further dismissals. Kumar described the six sacked ATCs as “the chief mischief-makers” and said that the Ministry had a contingency plan in place for all eventualities.
Kumar said that the ATC strike had cost the airlines operation in the country a lossof Rs 16 crores. He added that the loss caused by waste of aviation fuel was “incalculable but, definitely ran into several crores”. The ATCs were sacked for “disrupting aircraft movement and several other rated charges”. The AAI has filed FIR’s against the six with the Delhi and Mumbai police, for offenses committed under ESMA and the 1982 Air Safety Act.
This is the fourth time in a period of little over two years that the ATCs have resorted to strikes to secure substantial pay hikes. Kumar also made it clear that there was no scope for any more negotiation. “We do not want to turn the AAI into a sick organization. It’s time they learnt a lesson,” he said.
According to an Indian Airlines (IA) official spokesperson, the flight schedules had returned to near normalcy since afternoon. “We had experienced delays caused due to the ATCs stir since morning, but from around 2 pm onward, most flights were given clearances on time. However, we cannot say that things have returned to complete normalcy,” headded.
Earlier, the ATC Guild said, “The intention of the management is to victimise the ATCs, but we will not give in meekly. The ATCs are ready for a long drawn-out battle, and the ATC Guild will work out a plan to intensify the agitation soon,” said a source in the ATC Guild.
“In fact, the suspension of four of our senior colleagues is illegal as the ATCs had never declared any agitation,” he maintained. As if to prove a point, the ATCs delayed three flights of Indian Airlines and four flights of Jet Airways by over 15 minutes in the evening.
In Mumbai, soon after the four officers were handed over their dismissal orders, the AAI management, with the help of Mumbai police, evicted the ATCs and their families from their official residences in the AAI colony near the Santacruz airport. None of the members of the ATC Guild were allowed to hold any meetings at their official residences, and a close watch was being maintained on their activities since afternoon, sources added.
