… calls for review of aviation road map
The National Union of Air Transport Employess (NUATE) has stated its resolve to free aviation workers from slave labour under the management of some notable airlines in the industry.
National President of NUATE, Comrade Ben Nnabue, made this known in his 2022 May Day speech recently.
He also called on the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, to review the aviation road map.
Nnabue, while recognising the Union’s significant returns from its organising efforts, regretted that big local airlines continue to defy the law on free association and union membership, adding that the promise by the Minister of Labour for his intervention has not been kept.
“Therefore, we are left with our own devices to see to it that all aviation workers, particularly in Air Peace, Azman Air, Dana Air, etc are fully freed from slave labour this year,” he stated.
The NUATE National President also used the medium to call on the Minister of Aviation to urgently review his Aviation Road Map, saying that the Union holds the view that the projects under the Road Map require significant adjustments to harmonise them with current realities in the world of aviation and national interest.
On the Union’s achievement in the last calendar year, he said the Union has given tremendous support to women and gender programmes, as well as young workers’ programmes, even in the midst of scarce financial resources.
“Equally significant is the returns from our organising efforts. Heliserve and Lomatok global Services in Warri have joined the NUATE family while we are at concluding stages of unionising about three other organisations,” he announced.
Speaking further on the grievances of the Union, Nnabue noted that 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 said.
In similar vein, he said the Union is unsatisfied with ongoing discussions around the big question of airports concession, saying that the workers are unclear as to the government’s actual response to the demands of aviation unions on labour issues and many lapses in the concession programme.
According to him, in the coming weeks, important decisions will be made to chart a clear path towards ameliorating already stated demands of workers.
Nnabue equally expressed NUATE’s frustration at the dilly-dallying attitude of the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) in attending to the negotiated redundancy benefits of ex-staff of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), a matter pending since 2009.
He assured 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 a final solution, failing which we shall take decisive actions towards seeking justice for the victims,” he promised.
The President specially mentioned the workers challenge with Caverton Helicopters, describing its regime as wicked, he charged all aviation workers to prepare for a mother strike against the Helicopter Company.
He said: “Special mention must be made of the wicked regime in Caverton Helicopters. It is very apparent the owner and his son, the Managing Director 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, the Managing Director, 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.”
Continuing, Nnabue announced that NUATE is presently battling the vexed issue of back catering by some foreign airlines.
“We are receiving the ears of the NCAA on the matter, the reason we tarried on it in the last one month or so.
“We are definitely committed to seeing an end to the unwelcome act in the interest of local in-flight catering services companies,” he said.
He also called on the Federal Government to urgently address the serious shortcomings of the newly commissioned international terminal at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) so as to put the terminal to use.
Saying it will be a major disservice of this administration should the terminal turn out to be a white elephant, the Unionist pleaded that this must be avoided at all cost.
He also used the opportunity to urge all workers not to slack or be complacent in this season of national politicking.
According to him, to do so will attract a heavy price of allowing those with less stake enthrone governments at all levels which may be anti-workers.
He therefore, seriously charged all the workers to take advantage of the ongoing voters’ registration to ensure each of them is armed with the voters’ card, “ready to perform your civic responsibility of voting at all the forthcoming elections.”