Chaos at Indian airports on third day of workers' strike

NEW DELHI, Friday (AFP) - India's two main airports were hit with further chaos Friday as a workers' strike against privatisation went into a third day, with passengers forced to lug their own baggage amid piles of garbage and overflowing toilets.

Television footage showed angry passengers wading through litter at the airports in New Delhi and western economic hub Mumbai, as the 22,000-member Airports Authority of India Employees Union refused to call off the strike.

Most flights, however, were running according to schedule, airport officials said. Air traffic controllers have not joined the strike and air force personnel are performing some key functions.

The striking workers have demanded a review of the privatisation decision, saying it violates a promise not to sell off money-making public companies. They say the money to modernise the facilities could have come from public funds.

The Delhi High Court late Thursday ordered the workers not to stage protests within 500 metres (yards) of the New Delhi and Mumbai airports.

The court also warned striking workers not to disrupt the functioning of the two airports, which are to be taken over by private consortia for a complete overhaul.

Protestors Friday appeared to be keeping a low profile, with no incidents reported by late morning. On Thursday, riot police were called in to guard terminals as workers smashed windows and scuffled with security officials.

The cash-strapped Congress coalition government is allowing takeovers by Indian-foreign consortia as a way of getting funds to modernise the shabby and overcrowded airports, angering its communist allies who are backing the leftwing unions behind the strike.

The leftist parties, who give crucial support to keep the Congress party in power, were slated to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh later Friday.

A.B. Bardhan, general secretary of the Communist Party of India, said the government should set up a meeting with union leaders in a bid to resolve the dispute.

"Call them for talks. They run the most important infrastructure of the country... you can't deal with that like this," he said.