…. workers to get pension, gratuity
Aero Contractors of Nigeria Limited has sent 60% of its workforce parking to reduce huge and unrealistic personnel cost as well as other operational challenges worsened by lack of enough aircraft to keep all the workers meaningfully engaged.
The affected staff have been issued letters to this effect.
A statement from the foremost airline said the issuance of notification of redundancy is a business decision that will ensure Aero’s survival.
The statement says, “current situation where over a thousand people are basically not engaged due to lack of serviceable aircraft is not sustainable for the airline. The
huge monthly salary associated with a bloated workforce will eventually kill the airline, which is not the intention of the current government”.
Aero Contractors currently has aircraft-to-employee ratio of 1:500, which
analysts believe is perhaps the worse in the history of global airline industry.
Government’s intervention in Aero was to save it from total collapse therefore, all steps such as this (issuance of redundancy letters) to ensure its survival must be put into consideration to save the airline.
This decision, the statement added, will immediately reduce the whooping operational cost, which has been stifling Aero; enable the management bring in more aircraft through savings from overheads, pay for C-checks as well as enable Aero have a more manageable and committed workforce in line with international best practices of 50 to 60 personnel to one aircraft unlike what obtains in Aero at the moment.
The statement however added that those in Maintenance Repair and Overhaul
(MRO) and other essential staff in critical departments will not be affected by the notification just as Capt. Ado Sanusi, the Chief Executive Officer of Aero and his management team have also ensured that the affected workers will be able to access their full gratuity as well as a part of their pension just to immediately cushion the effect of the development.
They also stand a chance of being recalled as soon as Aero increases the number of aircraft in its fleet in the near future.
Before taking this critical but necessary business decision, the management of Aero consistently explained the inevitability of redundancy notification to both the workers and the unions because there was no way Aero could carry on with its over bloated personnel and huge overhead cost.
The redundancy letter made available to the media read in parts,
“…following the operational challenges of Aero culminating in loss of business opportunities that adversely affected company finances vis-à-vis operations, we are constrained to place you under redundancy pending a possible future review. This decision was communicated to the unions where their understanding was solicited in view of prevailing operational difficulties…whilst Aero appreciates your contribution to the company and continues to regard you as worthy ambassadors, we solicit your understanding as we struggle to stabilize operations and rebuild the
company…” Aero Contractors also assured its esteemed customers, that this exercise will in no way affect operations, rather it will enhance safety, reliability and efficiency.
