By IASN,
New Delhi : The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has asked at least 4,000 of its employees working at the Delhi and Mumbai airports to either opt for the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) or work at other AAI-owned airports, an official said Wednesday.
The AAI official, who did not want to be identified, told IANS that the decision has to be implemented at the earliest and such VRS offers will be made to employees in some other airports also.
When the Delhi and Mumbai airports were privatised in 2006, the developers – Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) and Mumbai International Airport Ltd – had agreed to retain 2,000 employees at each airport for the first three years, which end in the first week of May this year.
All India Airports Employees Union (AIAEU) general secretary M.K. Ghoshal told IANS that the union has already moved the Delhi High Court, challenging the AAI decision.
The court will hear the appeal March 19, he said.
The proposed VRS plan is expected to cost the AAI Rs.10 billion (Rs.1,000 crore), officials said.
However, under the the terms of their agreements with the government, the private developers of the Delhi and Mumbai airports would have to bear part of the VRS costs.
When asked, a DIAL spokesperson said the AAI had not contacted them so far.
The AAI has about 20,000 employees. Its revenues grew 15 percent to Rs.42.89 billion (Rs.4,289 crore) in 2007-08 from Rs.37.26 billion in 2006-07. HOwever, officials fear fall in revenues this fiscal.