Nine cleaning staff engaged by a private agency at Calcutta airport have been terminated for not performing their duties, in a disciplinary crackdown that unions had successfully resisted in the past.

As part of the fresh clean-up drive, stalls opposite the old domestic terminal have been shut down, although they are yet to be dismantled. However, cars allegedly operated by touts charging fliers exorbitant fares were still parked illegally opposite the terminal on Friday.

The nine workers, employed by Rakshak Securitas Private Limited, were deployed in the departure area of the airport. “Nine persons were terminated from service on May 12 for not doing their job. Earlier, several notices were served on them for negligence, but they continued to violate rules,” an official of the agency told Metro on Friday.

Rakshak Securitas, which got the housekeeping contract around one-and-a-half years ago, had about 250 contractual housekeeping staff at the airport. Most of them had also worked with the previous agency.

“We did not receive any phone calls from political leaders after the nine workers were terminated, nor was there any demonstration by other workers,” an airport official said.

Sources said complaints against the dismissed workers included absence from duty posts, misbehaviour with officials and passengers, and failure to wear uniforms.

Cars parked illegally at the Calcutta airport on Friday

“The private agency for housekeeping at the departure level has taken disciplinary action against some workers. These workers had earlier been served several notices,” said Vikram Singh, director of Calcutta airport. “We are constantly trying to improve the cleanliness of washrooms, check-in portals and other areas of the terminal building,” he said.

According to Singh, deep cleaning of washrooms and check-in portals is now being carried out periodically. The process includes the use of specialised chemicals to remove stains and fix ventilation and other technical problems.

Airport officials had earlier reported facing major difficulties in ensuring that unionised cleaning staff employed through private agencies carried out assigned duties. The impact was visible across the terminal building, with passengers complaining about dirty and foul-smelling washrooms, stained floors and overflowing garbage bins.

“Our aim is to maintain high standards of cleanliness, as we do at other airports and facilities. But at Calcutta airport, because of resistance from a section of the staff, it was difficult. Now, with support from the authorities, conditions have improved,” an official of Rakshak said.

This newspaper has on several occasions reported that cleaners were often missing from washrooms even when the facilities were dirty. Previous attempts by airport authorities to take action against workers had triggered protests, with union leaders pressuring authorities to reinstate them.

Although the new agency took over housekeeping at the airport, it had to retain workers engaged by earlier contractors.

Last year, an airport official sent an email to senior authorities alleging that a supervisor of the housekeeping agency had left the terminal several hours before the end of her shift. A complaint email from another airport official had said a cleaning staff member had left duty much before schedule.

In December, cleaners at the departure level stopped work for about 40 minutes after one of them was told to either wear his uniform or go on leave. “He had said that workers routinely did not wear uniforms and that he was being singled out,” an airport official said.

A passenger travelling from Calcutta to Delhi on Thursday morning said the washrooms in the boarding area were significantly cleaner. “There was no stench. The floor was dry and there was a cleaner present inside the washroom,” he said.

Stalls, touts

The airport authorities are also trying to clear encroachments near the old domestic terminal. Food stalls opposite the terminal remained shut on Friday, though the structures had not yet been removed.

Airport authorities had recently written to the NSCBI Airport police station seeking the removal of food stalls on airport land, along with cars parked illegally in front of the old domestic building.

Police asked those operating the stalls and vehicles to vacate the area.

However, while the stalls were closed on Friday, cars allegedly operated by touts charging exorbitant fares from passengers were still parked there.

“We will take up the issue again with the police,” an airport official said.