December 9: Officers attached to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have begun a work-to-rule agitation on the lines of the stir by air traffic controllers (ATCs) and airport technical officers last month.

The white-collared officers attached to the International Airports Division (IAD) of the AAI who are demanding parity in pay and perks with technical officers and ATCs began their stir on Saturday. The agitating officers say executives attached to the IAD of AAI will receive 20 to 30 per cent lower salaries than their counterparts in the National Airports Division. Said leaders of the agitating officers, the stir will be low-key at present so that air passengers are not inconvenienced. ``Our central executive committee will decide about intensifying the stir if the management does not respond to our demands,'' said Thomas, branch secretary, AAI Officers' Association. He added that runway maintenance, allocation of aprons which helps clearance of aircraft, maintenance of electrical and electronic equipment inside the airport premises could be affected.

The agitation has already begun to affect clearance of cargo as the officers have begun to shut the counters at 4.30 pm sharp. Earlier, cargo counters were kept open until well into the evening to help exporters and importers. The officers have also decided not to conduct weekly auctions from December 13. Though auctions are normally conducted by professional auctioneers, the AAI relies on in-house staff to cut costs.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.