Indian Airlines strike leaves thousand Indians stranded {Lead: Indian Airlines strike)

Thousands of passengers were stranded at airports across the country today, as the standoff between the government and the workers of Indian Airlines continued late till the evening, giving no signs of respite for the stranded passengers.

Mumbai/Chennai/New Delhi, June 13 : Thousands of passengers were stranded at airports across the country today, as the standoff between the government and the workers of Indian Airlines continued late till the evening, giving no signs of respite for the stranded passengers.

The workers of the state-run domestic airlines -Indian-went on strike, demanding higher wages and benefits, but the Civil Aviation Ministry termed it 'illegal and unwarranted".

Dozens of flights were delayed or cancelled and chaos prevailed at many major airports, which is congested even at normal times in what is the world's fastest growing aviation market.

The airlines, Indian, cancelled over 40 flights that included 22 alone in Mumbai.

Services of the airline to the Gulf and Southeast Asia were also affected.

In Mumbai, passengers complained about lack of information and cooperation from ground staff at the Airport.

"It is really unfortunate. Our flight was three hours late but no one informed us about it. When we landed here I didn't get wheel chair for my wife who is not well. Other passenger who was not well did not get a stretcher," said Mahadev Rao, Member of Parliament and a passenger.

Similar scenes were witnessed at Chennai Airport where workers were sitting on strike outside the departure lounge.

Civil Aviation Ministry Praful Patel in a tough message to the striking employees asked the employees to call off the strike or face action.

Twenty-three employees have already been issued suspension notices.

"If they don't withdraw the strike we will be forced to take stern action against them. Looking at the competition in the aviation sector they should withdraw the strike. If they will not do so we will rethink on paying arrears of 2.67 billion rupees to them," Patel said.

The strike began after talks between the union and the management on wage revision, promotions and payment of arrears failed on Tuesday.

However, the standoff between the government and the employees union does not seem to wither away very soon.

"We are in no mood to take the strike back. All 13,000 workers of Indian Airlines are ready for suspension but we will not take the strike back until our demands are met," said J.K. Badola, General Secretary of Air Corporation Employees' Union.

Meanwhile, the indefinite strike caused six Team India players from reporting to the camp, which began at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) at Bangalore for the coming Ireland bound team.

The six players who could not arrive in the city due to airline strike include newly appointed vice-captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, former skipper Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, R P Singh, Piyush Chawla and Romesh Powar.

ANI