Uncertainty loomed over Calcutta airport on the eve of the 12-hour shutdown, as strike supporters stepped up pressure to prevent employees from joining work on Thursday.
Members of Airports Authority of India Employees? Joint Forum were picketing outside the airport entrances from Wednesday afternoon. ?The operations will be stalled. We will not allow anybody inside the airport,? asserted a forum spokesperson.
On Wednesday, the supporters of the 7 am to 7 pm strike searched the bags of the employees coming in to work and took away food. ?Some of the employees were carrying more food than is required for a night,? explained a member of the forum.
The attempt by the airport authorities to keep operations normal by deploying Indian Air Force personnel received a setback after employees of the fire services wing decided to join the strike.
?In the absence of fire services, flights cannot land or take off,? stated a forum spokesperson. Sources said the Air Force personnel brought to the airport are trained in fire services. The authorities planned to deploy trainers and trainees of Narayanpur Fire Training Centre. But later in the day, a delegation from the centre expressed the inability of its personnel to take part in the operations, the sources added.
?We are not opposing the functioning of the fire services, as it is an emergency division. But if the employees spontaneously want to join the strike, then we cannot prevent them,? said CPM parliamentarian from Dum Dum Amitava Nandi.
The airport premises wore a pre-poll look on Wednesday, with posters up on the walls and employees shouting slogans against privatisation.
Additional contingents of the Central Industrial Security Force were deployed to maintain law and order.
Gates of the operation units on every floor of the airport?s main building were locked to keep out the strike supporters. The building entrances were heavily manned.
?We are taking all contingency measures to maintain normal operations,? K. Ramalingam, chairman, Airports Authority of India, told Metro from New Delhi.
