Air India employees' union to meet, plan stir against privatisation

Air India's largest employees' union will hold its general body meeting this week to "organise its members for a movement" against the govt's decision to privatise the debt-ridden carrier. The Air Corporations Employees' Union (ACEU) is also planning to meet a group of ministers to be set up by the govt to look into the disinvestment of its stake in the airline. The ACEU is a grouping of Air India's non-technical staff and comprises nearly 8,000 of the total 21,137 employees. Seven unions of Air India have already joined hands to oppose the privatisation of the financially bleeding airline. Their representatives met last month and wrote to Union minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapthi Raju, warning him of an "industrial unrest". <br/>