Slum dwellers, AAI unions to jointly protest AAI 'high-handedness'

Mumbai, May 3 (UNI) The Mumbai Airport Slum Dwellers Federation and the various unions of the AAI are protesting against the ''high-handedness and the privatisation of the Mumbai Airport''.

In a joint press conference here today, the Indian Airports Employees Union and the Mumbai Airport Slum Dwellers Federation have threatened to take to the streets and protest against the AAI and Mumbai International Airports Private Ltd if their demands are not met.

The slum dwellers are protesting against the AAI's and the MIAL's decision to demolish the existing slums in the Airport Authority area before this monsoon.

The Andheri Zone president of the Federation, S G Pagare, said that there are people who are living on this land for the last 45 years and if the slums have to be demolished, then they must be properly rehabilitated.

Parle zone President of the Federation Maruti Khedaskar added that there are more than 85,000 slums in the airport land and more than five lakh people stay in the area who need proper accomodation.

The Airport Employees Union are protesting against the dismissal of 70 employees by taking away their security passes.

According to the union, the workers have been in service for the last 20 years and since 1993 they have been continued directly under the AAI and their services are protected by the Bombay High Court.

In the last nine months since the privatisation of the Mumbai Airport, these workers have been paid by the AAI and this month the AAI has directed the MIAL to pay them in spite of the agreement between the AAI and MIAL that the cases pending before the privatisation will be the responsibility of the AAI.

UNI