The 160 personnel employed in Thiruvananthapuram International Airport by the ground handling agency, Bhadra International India Pvt. Ltd., are in dire straits as they have been terminated following the decision to wind up operations.
The firm, one of the two engaged in ground handling operations at the airport, had not settled the pending salaries, allowances, including gratuity and bonus from April 2019, and leave encashment of the staff. The management had also not paid the monthly contribution towards the EPF and ESI. The employees had been working on slashed salaries from March 2020 following the ban imposed in the country on commercial flights due to the pandemic-induced lockdown.
With no signs of settling the dues despite a suit filed before the Regional Labour Commissioner, the Confederation of Trivandrum Airport Workers Trade Union, an umbrella organisation of INTUC, CITU and BMS unions, have come out to support the cause of the 160 employees and to get the dues.
Dharna staged
The union organised a dharna in front of the airport on Tuesday demanding steps to settle the dues of employees who have been left in the lurch.
The ground handling agency had defaulted payment of licence fee to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) forcing the AAI to serve notice in March 2020 itself to terminate the agreement. The agency was engaged in the ground handling of only one airline and it wound up operations in October 2020. The office that was functioning in the airport was also closed.
The agency had the authority of the AAI to take care of the ground handling of Etihad, Fly Dubai, Oman Air and chartered flights. The agency’s attempts to shift the ground handling equipment like trolleys and step ladder worth crores lying in the airport premises did not succeed following the stiff resistance of employees.
The president of CITU-affiliated Thiruvananthapuram International and Domestic Airport Contract Workers Union, R.S. Vijayamohan said they had asked the AAI Director to ensure that the affected employees get priority while the new ground handling agency was appointed.
The union has also urged the AAI not to release the ground handling equipment of Bhadra International India Pvt. Ltd. lying in the airport till the dues of the employees are settled.
Meanwhile, the AAI is in the final stages of finding ground handling agency in five Group B1 airports, including Thiruvananthapuram. AAI sources said eight had participated in the two cover bidding process.
Ray of hope
For the 160 employees, the new ground handling agency to be appointed by AAI for Thiruvananthapuram airport is the only ray of hope.
