Pensioners under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Branch, have issued a two weeks ultimatum to the FAAN Management to address the issue of the withdrawal of some benefits or face industrial unrest.
The ultimatum is coming on the heels of the meeting held on July 24,2019 which ended in stalemate between the ad-hoc committee put in place by the Managing Director to look into the issue with the pensioners.
The pensioners, in a chat with newsmen in Lagos, said that FAAN under the new management had stopped their total emoluments which they have been receiving since 2008 based on an agreement reached between them and the management of FAAN.
Comrades Rasaki Ope, the National Chairman and Emeka Njoku, National Secretary respectively of the FAAN pensioners, declared that some people in the FAAN were out to mislead the new management under the leadership of Captain Hamisu Yadudu by only reviewing salary and proficiency while leaving behind utilities, meal subsidy, housing among others.
The union leaders wondered why such decision should be taken without reasons after 14 years and that if FAAN Management should insist on its stand, the pensioners then called for the implementation of the 33% increase on current pension to be used for them based on of the federal government circular.
According to them, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) were paying their pensioners based on the circular.
They lamented that the management of FAAN for over 10 years had refused to review their pensions as against the 5 years requirement for review.
The pensioners warned that, they would no longer fold their arms and watch the FAAN Directorate of Human Resources and Administration deprive them of their rights.
FAAN pensioners urged the Managing Director of the Agency to as a matter of urgency and to avoid the wrath of the pensioners, to address the anomalies by calling on the concerned Directorate to reverse the ugly decision.
They warned that all pensioners of the agency would be fully mobilised on August 6th, 2019 for a showdown with the management across the country.
According to them, the Commissioner of police airport Command and other security agencies have been alerted on the scheduled protest next week but declared that it could be avoided should FAAN rescind its planned cut in their allowances.
Contacted over the weekend on the issue, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu said the Managing Director, Captain Yadudu had scheduled a meeting with the pensioners and other unions for tomorrow(Monday), 29,July,2019.
However, the National Secretary of NUP-FAAN Branch said its Union was not invited and that only three unions were invited, that is NUATE, ANAP and ATSSSAN.
