Members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, says, they are not satisfied with the ongoing discussions around the big question of airports concession.
President of NUATE, Comrade Ben Nnabue in his message to commemorate the May Day celebration says, they are unclear as to government’s actual response to the demands of aviation unions on labour issues and many lapses in the concession program.
He stated that, in the coming weeks, important decisions will be made to chart a clear path towards ameliorating already stated demands of workers.
Concession being a part of the aviation roadmap, the union has called on the Minister of Aviation to urgently review his Aviation Road Map.
According to the Comrade Nnabue, the hold view that the projects under the Road Map require significant adjustments to harmonize them with current realities in the world of aviation and our national interest.
On the newly inaugurated Lagos airport terminal, the union urged the Federal Government to urgently address the serious shortcomings of the newly opened international terminal so as to put the terminal to use.
“It will be a major disservice of this administration should the terminal turn out to be a white elephant. This must be avoided at all cost”.
On labour matter, comrade Nnabue said, the twin big issues of Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment and Conditions of Service for the aviation Agencies are currently raging.
“We stand firmly by the decision of workers not to accept continuing shifting of the goal post by government agencies on these issues. Therefore, this week has been set out for major decisions and subsequent decisive actions that will bring these issues to a foreclosure”.
He also expressed the union frustration at the dilly-dallying attitude of the Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE in attending to the negotiated redundancy benefits of ex-staff of SAHCO, a matter pending since 2009.
“Let me assure the affected ex-workers that the unions have gone so far and cannot retreat on the matter at this point. We are at the verge of final solution, failing which we shall take decisive actions towards seeking justice for the victims”.
He added, “Special mention must be made of the wicked regime in Caverton Helicopters. It is very apparent the owner and his son MD have chosen to enrich themselves by the blood of the employees if the airline”.
“Salaries and other entitlements of workers are denied at will. Workers who are forced out of the company never receive their benefits as per Conditions of Service. All agreements entered into with our Union, and with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) under the mediation of the Ministry of Labour have all been kept in the breach. The owner and his son MD are clearly unfit, or too wicked, to have human beings work for them. I use this opportunity to charge all aviation workers to prepare for a mother strike action against Caverton Helicopters at a date to be shortly announced”.
