The cleaning crew at the departure level of the Calcutta airport protested by refusing to work for about 40 minutes on Tuesday morning when one of them was told to either wear his uniform or go on leave.
A new agency has been assigned the cleaning job at the airport, but it has been forced to retain all the old hands engaged by the previous agencies.
Trouble started around 9am when the contractual employee was seen reporting for work without the uniform.
“This particular employee always creates trouble, and during his time of duty, he is rarely found at his post and is instead seen chatting,” said an airport official.
“On Tuesday, one of our officials saw him inside the terminal without wearing the uniform. So he was asked to leave, but he refused,” he said.
The cleaning agency person allegedly threatened the lady official, daring her to make him leave the terminal. The argument took place at the check-in area on the departure level of the terminal building, in front of security hold area number four, which is used for the movement of VIP passengers.
“He said several others working for other agencies at the airport routinely did not wear uniforms and that he was being singled out,” said the airport official.
Senior airport officials have instructed personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to prevent the employee from entering the terminal building unless he is in uniform, according to an official.
“He was informed that wearing a uniform is part of his responsibilities,” said the official.
After the contractual employee was asked to vacate the premises around 10.30am, a group of approximately 30 individuals, including the agency’s personnel and local Trinamool leaders, staged a protest in front of the airport manager’s office situated at gate number 3C on the terminal’s departure level. It continued for around 40 minutes. Later, airport officials held a meeting to end the standoff.
“It was decided that the agency would provide fresh uniforms and winterwear to all contractual employees, and they would have to wear them to duty. From January 1, if these employees don’t wear a uniform, they would not be allowed to enter the terminal building,” the official said.
In the evening, the same employee was seen chatting with a group inside the terminal.
Rakshak Securitas has been awarded the contract for housekeeping, including cleaning of the departure level of the terminal.
The agency secured the contract in July 2024; however, it was compelled to keep all employees from the former agency, according to an official.
“We have around 300 contractual employees. After Tuesday’s meeting, it has been decided that we would provide them with fresh uniforms,” said an official of the agency.
Lack of cleanliness has been a problem that has troubled the Calcutta airport for years.
Cleaning personnel are often accused of not doing their job and blackmailing agencies with trade union support whenever a crackdown is attempted. Metro has reported several times how agency workers, backed by political leaders, refuse to work in their duty hours. The airport authorities hired several private agencies, but the workers have remained the same.
“The winter uniforms of these workers were given by the agency one year ago, and those have been torn. Thus, several workers are forced to wear their own winter clothes. On Tuesday, one such employee was marked absent by the authorities. Our union had to intervene,” said Barun Natya, working president of the Trinamool-led Contractual Contract Employees of Calcutta Airport.