The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN has reassured it members that the union is not sleeping on the concession policy of government and has mapped out plans to challenge government on the matter.
Speaking during the delegate conference of the Murtala Mohammed Airport branch of the union,ATSSSAN branch Chairman FAAN, comrade Ahmed Danjuma while addressing the delegates emphasized that the policy was not the best answer and to this end, unions in the industry were in unison to say No to Concession of the four major airports in the country.
He urged his members not to relax in their oars on their stand against this government policy, adding that though the noise about the policy seemed to have reduced, government was also re-strategizing after the initial knocks received against the policy to achieve their goal.
“for the fact that the noise of concession has suddenly reduced aside from the last two weeks that the Vice President made a statement about the concession and another statement was made again about the concession, we should not relax that this government will not carry out that exercise. The only way we can prove to them that we can do it is by sitting up and do our job the best we can, so that we will not give room for anybody to come and challenge us that we have not done well”.
Comrade Danjuma explained that the union had engaged many stakeholders on the matter, several researches have been made and position papers developed to defend their stand against the concession policy.
“we have tried to develop our position paper as to why we say concession is not the best answer and we are not done with it yet, we are still collating and it is the responsibility of all of us not only the union leaders alone to drive that process. We need inputs from us, we need your support, we need your advises so that we will have a very good comprehensive document whatever they call us to talk, we will now rely on those documents you give us and present to them”.
“Am challenging all of us here to please go out, sought out for information, ideas on how best we can challenge the issue of concession. We have our own roadmap, we have plan B, C and even plan D but we will not roll them out until we are sure the government is serious on this matter, he added.
The ATSSSAN Chairman FAAN branch used the occasion to announce that the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission had approved the FAAN reviewed condition of service and sent to the Ministry for necessary action.
Comrade Danjuma stated that the journey which over 5 years ago was a Herculean task for the union,”we had the breaking the news that the document has now been approved. It has not been easy like I said because we have been going back and forth, to and fro, submissions upon submissions, answers to queries and whatever you can think for us to arrive at a conclusion yesterday”.
He applauded the management of FAAN especially the Managing Director FAAN, Engr. Saleh Dunoma for their support and encouragement, as he stood by them during meetings with the chairman of the commission to make presentation as why the document needed to be approved.
“We thank the management of FAAN for their support particularly the MD, sincerely speaking, MD has tried as far as the CoS is concerned”.
“That man has been with us anytime we went to Abuja, he will follow us in fact, he will lead to the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, I could remember vividly two good times, we trekked from his office to the commission to see the chairman in order to appeal to them to understand why there is need for us to have these thing. I can say that having that has propelled the zeal and the ambitions and feelings of our members to the extent that other agencies to say if FAAN can get, they will get their own tomorrow, we already lead and they will follow”.
