Ultimatum to 'Indian' staff to withdraw strike

New Delhi, June 13: Taking a tough stand, the Government today gave an ultimatum to the Indian airlines ground staff to withdraw their strike by this evening, and served suspension notices on 23 employees.

''If the employees don't withdraw their strike by 8-9 O'clock today, we will take stricter action,'' Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told a press conference here as he termed the strike illegal.

He said 23 striking employees had already been served suspension notices.

Nearly 13,000 ground staff of the airlines went on a flash strike late last evening, demanding better pay.

The strike was called after the talks between the management and the union broke down.

Mr Patel said 40 per cent of Indian airlines flights had been disrupted due to the strike, but added that adequate measures, including outsourcing, were being taken to bring near normalcy. Asked whether he was going to talk to the Air Corporation Employees Union, he retorted: ''Why should we talk. We are taking a very tough line. We don't want any inconvenience to passengers.'' He said the Government would rethink on the Rs 267 crore arrear package if the strike was not withdrawn.

He said the Union had agreed to the package that the Government had offered despite the airlines facing a financial crunch.

''But when the negotiations were on in the presence of the Chief Labour Commissioner last evening, the Union suddenly walked out and called a flash strike without giving any notice,'' he added.

''This was a reckless move on the employees' part,'' he said and asked them to end their strike for their own future and the future of the airlines.

The Minister said the strike was illegal as the Union did no give any notice this time like it had done earlier.

''The airlines will suffer further financial loss and loss of goodwill, if the strike is not withdrawn immediately. The employees must understand that,'' he said.

UNI