Protest posters at the HHI gate. (Bishwarup Dutta)

Calcutta High Court has barred Citu protesters and posters from within 50 metres of a star address that had complained about the flag-and-slogan brigade’s presence at the gate.

Justice S. Banerjee told the Citu-affiliated workers’ union of Hotel Hindusthan International (HHI) on Thursday that it had every right to stage a demonstration, but without inconveniencing guests staying there or affecting business.

“Protests cannot be held within 50 metres of the hotel premises. I direct the police authorities to ensure that the protesters do not come within 50 metres of the hotel,” Justice Banerjee said.

This is not the first time that the high court has restrained Citu from laying siege to a business establishment. It had earlier banned Citu rallies and protests in front of Bharat Petroleum’s headquarters at Golf Gardens.

During a fuel pump employees’ strike in 2005, the court had asked Citu-affiliated unions not to hold any demonstration within 100 metres of the pumps.

The HHI management had petitioned the court after Citu-affiliated workers began protesting its refusal to recognise their union.

“It has been our policy for 20 years to interact with only one union in the hotel. Citu had the majority earlier but Intuc has the majority now. Citu had petitioned the high court saying it enjoyed the majority but lost the case. When it decided to move the labour court, we agreed to resolve the matter there. But Citu suddenly began demonstrations on December 29,” a representative of the hotel told Metro.

He said posters on the walls and protesters squatting in front of the hotel were driving away potential guests. “December 30-31 are very busy days for any hotel and they were trying to tarnish HHI’s image during that time,” he alleged. The protests have continued through a bleak January for star hotels.

Citu leaders cried foul over the court’s order. “Organising a peaceful movement is the fundamental right of workers. The court’s order is tantamount to wresting that right from us. But it doesn’t matter to us whether we are staging a demonstration in front of the hotel gate or a few metres away from it,” state Citu secretary Kali Ghosh said.