The strike by contractual employees of the paid porter service at Calcutta airport continued on Tuesday as Trinamul Congress leaders stuck to their demand that the workers be paid in full even if they stayed away from work.

The airport authorities, on their part, did not intervene to help resolve the impasse, on since Sunday.

Around 40 contractual employees of Saptgiri Restaurants Pvt Ltd, the agency that runs the meet-and-greet service at the airport, did not turn up for work on Tuesday. They have gone on a strike protesting what they called the company's practice of deducting wages citing absenteeism and dereliction of duty.

They are also demanding that they be paid on the basis of eight-hour duty cycles and not the number of passengers they cater to daily. The contract terms state that porters in the departure section would handle at least five passengers and those in the arrival arena would handle three.

The wage structure is on a manday basis and the workers are paid at the end of the month.

One can hire the service for Rs 200 - a worker has to push the trolley and help the passenger locate the right counter.

"I couldn't get in touch with the employees. None of them came for work. The few who wanted to work were threatened by the rest," said Babulal Yadav, who runs Saptgiri Restaurants.

Yadav has alleged that local Trinamul leaders had forced him to hire men without running any quality check. Many of his employees, he alleged, often stay away from work and go on a strike if penalised.

Trinamul leaders steering the strike insisted that the contractor accept their demands.

"We have told the contractor that the payment should be on the basis of eight hours of work. If not, then at least the number of passengers one has to handle should be reduced. But the contractor is not agreeing to our proposals and saying that the workers need not come. That is not possible," said Barun Natta, working president of the Trinamul-backed Airport Contractual Workmen's Union.

Natta said the union leaders would meet the contractor on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

Airport officials said they were not intervening in the matter because "it is a problem between the contractor and his employees".

An airport official said: "The airport authorities are providing help to passengers who need assistance."

Yadav had told Metro on Monday how mid-level Trinamul leaders had forced him to hire local residents about seven months back when the service was launched.

His agency was conducting interviews when a group of youths backed by the ruling party turned up at his office and threatened him. Soon he got calls from some leaders, who requested him to hire local people and train them.

"Now they are refusing to work and no one is taking responsibility," said Yadav.