NEW DELHI, Feb 1: Thousands of workers picketed airports across India on Wednesday in a strike called to protest at plans to privatise the country’s two largest airports at New Delhi and Mumbai.

However, flight schedules in and out of the 130 airports — manned by workers of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) — were unaffected as air traffic controllers came in for work, officials and reports said.

In New Delhi and the financial capital of Mumbai, workers shouted anti-government slogans as they launched a sit-in protest outside the entrances to the main terminals.

“Unless and until the government heeds our demand to withdraw its decision to privatise Mumbai and Delhi airports, we will not stop our agitation,” said Pramod Sharma, a union secretary, the Press Trust of India reported.

“We are ready to go to the extent of even sacrificing our lives.”

The protests gathered momentum after the government announced Tuesday that construction firm GMR Industries, based in the southern city of Hyderabad and partnered by Germany’s Fraport, had won a bid to privatise Delhi airport.

India’s GVK group and the South African airport authority won the bid to privatise Mumbai airport.

The federal cabinet approved the deals on Wednesday.

Plans to privatise the two airports had stalled for years amid opposition by workers fearing job losses. But both consortia have promised to absorb 60 percent of the workforce after three years, with AAI to absorb the rest.

Both airports are notorious for their lack of passenger amenities, congested conditions and scant duty-free shopping or entertainment for transit passengers.

“We are only opposing handing over the process to private players. The Airport Authority of India is fully capable to do that,” said Sharma.

Union officials in Mumbai said about 3,000 staff had walked out from domestic and international airports at 10:30 am but they did not include air traffic controllers or pilots.

“Everything at the airport is normal. The only difference is that instead of using aero bridges they are using stepladders” to board passengers, said Air India spokesman Jitender Bhargava.

Passengers complained of delays in getting baggage as airlines brought in staff to handle the job normally done by the unionised workers.

“We have got our own staff helping with luggage,” said Jet Airways spokeswoman Nandini Verma. “We have no option than to do this, but not for an extended period.”

Police used batons to chase some of the striking workers away from the passenger entrances of Mumbai airport, but the AAI said the situation had calmed after the early clashes.

“There was just a small inconvenience as passengers entered and exited the airport,” said AAI Mumbai regional head S.R. Rao. “The situation is under control.”

However union official Nithin Jadhav said 25 people were injured in the clash.

Reports said air services in and out of most cities remained unaffected.

In Delhi, AAI spokesman Prem Nath said contingency measures were in place to ensure “all services, both air and ground, remain normal and all the facilities for passengers are unaffected.”

But passengers complained that services were disrupted.

“Maintenance of facilities is also poor. Toilets are not clean and we are not getting any trolleys to take our luggage to the car,” PTI quoted passenger Vinod Madhavan as saying.

About 19 million domestic passengers passed through India’s airports in the year to March last year. Analysts predict annual growth of 20 percent over the next five years as rising incomes and lower fares make air travel more affordable. —AFP