The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Aviation workers

  • Aviation workers to withdraw services midnight

    AVIATION workers will down tools from midnight today in compliance with the call for an industrial action by Labour.

    The strike is to press the government for the N30,000 minimum wage request.

    The Federal Government has proposed N24,000 minimum wage, but the governors say they can pay only N22,500

    The strike plan has already been stopped by the Industrial Court which on Friday upheld the government’s ex parte application.

    The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday said there was enough supply of products.

    National President of the National Union of Air Transport Employers (NUATE) Ben Nnabue said: “All flights operating into and out of Nigerian airports shall be affected by this industrial action.”

    NNPC spokesperson Ndu Ughamadu said the firm has a stock of petroleum products to sustain a minimum of 39 days sufficiency and about 25 days availability on land.

    Ughamadu said “motorists and other consumers of petroleum products are assured of adequate stock to meet their energy needs”.

    ”Nigerians should remain vigilant and volunteer information to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the industry regulator or to any law enforcement agency around them, on any station that attempts to take advantage of any prevailing situation in the country at the expense of the consumers.”

  • Aviation workers protest planned airport concession

    Aviation workers protest planned airport concession

    Aviation workers, acting under the aegis of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) yesterday in Lagos and Abuja, staged a protest against the proposed concession of four international airport terminals by the Federal Government.

    Their opposition to the concession of the terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt is predicated on fears  of possible job loss.

    Speaking at the Freedom Square, where the workers assembled for the protest, on behalf of the unions,  Olayinka Abioye,  the Acting General Secretary, NUATE, and Francis Akinjole, General Secretary, ATSSSAN, said the workers will resist any attempt by the government to concession the four airports.

    They alleged that the unions are aware that some  cartel  are already coming forward to buy these ‘viable airports.’

  • Aviation workers petition minister over FAAN’s multiple taxes

    Aviation workers petition minister over FAAN’s multiple taxes

    • As ICAO chief meets Buhari, stakeholders

    Aviation workers acting under the aegis of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have petitioned the Minister of State Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, over what they described as exorbitant and multiple taxes/fees imposed on handling companies by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    The union, according to its acting general secretary, Olayinka Abioye, faulted  arbitrary imposition of punitive, irregular and multiple taxes by FAAN without recourse to established rules.

    The union accused FAAN of gross insensitivity in the matter, which it said could trigger imminent crisis between the airport authority and ground handling companies, comprising Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL), on account of failure to carry them along before any increase in tariff.

    NUATE said it was necessary to draw the minister’s attention to what FAAN had done by attempting to impose multiple taxes without carrying service users along with its attendant consequences on the industry.

    Abioye listed the arbitrary charges imposed by FAAN on ground rent per square metre of office space per annum and workers are to pay N15,000 per annum.

    Meanwhile, the President, International Civil Avia

    tion Organisation (ICAO) Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu has arrived Nigeria on an official visit.

    A Nigerian, Aliu is the first black man to  head the global civil aviation body.

    During his visit, he will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja and other key stakeholders in the industry.

    Spokesman of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Sam Adurogboye, said the ICAO chief  will participate in  several other programmes lined up in the aviation industry.

    ICAO Council Nigerian Representative, Mr. Martins Nwafor had arrived earlier ahead of the Aliu’s official visit to the country.

    Before  his election on November, 18,  2013, he had served for eight years as the ICAO Council’s Nigerian Representative.

    He was the pioneer Director of Air Transport Regulation (DATR) at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) from 2000 – 2004.

    He succeeded Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez of Mexico.

    During Dr Aliu’s 2014 – 2016 triennium, ICAO has established five comprehensive strategic objectives.

    These are Safety, Air Navigation Capacity and Efficiency, Security and Facilitation, Economic Development of Air Transport and Environment Protection.

    ICAO has 191 member countries.

  • Aviation workers accuse AMCON of running down Aero

    Aviation workers accuse AMCON of running down Aero

    Workers of Aero Airlines yesterday staged a peaceful protest around the airport alleging that the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) is mismanaging funds injected into the carrier.

    The workers spoke through the branch Chairman of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Emoapo Ayo-Ife.

    The management of the airline is yet to comment on the matter.

    The chief executive officer of the public relation agency managing the airline, Mr Simon Tumba, said he has not been briefed by its client on the matter.

    Ayo-Ife alleged that since 2011, when AMCON invested huge sums of money into Aero, the airline has not been making any headway.

    He said when AMCON brought in the current Board of Directors in 2011, the company had about 11 aircraft but lamented that it currently has only five aircraft.

    He called for the dissolution of the board alleging that the huge sums invested in the airline to acquire equipment could not be accounted for.

    He said: “AMCON invested about N10billion in this company (Aero Contractors Airline) since they came here; when they came in, we had 11 aeroplane and now we are down to five aircraft.

    “They paid a $9million to a company in Brazil which we are yet to retrieve and nobody is talking about all that. “All we are asking for is a prudent management and workers welfare. We want AMCON to dissolve the board.

  • Aviation workers protest N25b debt owed by airlines

    Aviation workers protest N25b debt owed by airlines

    Over 200 airport workers and aviation union members yesterday staged a protest at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport , Ikeja , Lagos to protest over the N25 billion the airlines are owing the Federal Government.

    Led by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the unions threatened to stop rendering services to major airlines if they failed to settle they are owing the Federal Government within the next seven days.

    ATSSSAN and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) blocked ticket counters at the domestic wing of the airport to express their disapproval over the debts owed agencies.

    For over three hours during the protest, activities around the airport environment were  disrupted.

    Addressing the gathering, the ATSSSAN President, Mr Benjamin Okewu, said the protest was a result of the refusal of the airlines to settle their debts to the government.

    He said: “This protest is to send a notice to airline management that aviation workers are tired of the incessant indebtednessto all the aviation parastatals.

    “Airlines have been enjoying services from aviation parastatal without paying for the services rendered to it.

    “We are here to inform the passenger, the airline’s management and every other stakeholders that very soon, aviation workers will be ceasing all the services rendered to such airlines  they decide not to pay their  debt.

    “We cannot continue like this as the change we clamour for and the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari must reflect in the aviation industry.”

  • Aviation workers shelve strike

    Aviation workers shelve strike

    …As FG set up committee to address issue

    The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has shelved their strike action.

    The suspension was on the heels of resolutions taken at the end of a meeting organised by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu with head of the unions including management of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) in Abuja.

    The union had threatened to embark on strike action which ought to commence on Monday.

    Their dispute with the management of NAMA bothered on issues on staff welfare.

    In a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Aviation Minister (Media), Joe Obi, on Monday in Abuja it was unanimously agreed that due notification was not given to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity in the aforementioned dispute.

    According to the statement, “the meeting consequently resolved that: (i) the issue of determination of the basic salary and other allowances for the staff of NAMA concerned shall be taken up by a Committee to be headed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation.”(ii) To be included in that Committee are the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the Chairman, National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC). Other members are to be worked out by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation including the number of Trade Union membership.

    “(iii) The time frame for the work of the Committee shall be concluded within a reasonable time as was deliberated upon and agreed at the meeting.

    (iv) Based on the above, the proposed strike by the Trade Unions was shelved

    The Resolutions were jointly signed by the National President of ATSSSAN, Benjamin Okewu, his NUATE counterpart, Mohammed Safiyanu, Director, Human Resources Management (HRM), NAMA, Dr. Uwem Akangson, Director, HRM, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Mr. Clement A. Dosunmu, National President, NATCA, Eyaru Victor, Director Compensation, NSIWC, Ukut S.U and the Director of Trade Unions, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mrs C.C. Dike.

     

  • Aviation workers declare strike

    Aviation workers declare strike

    Will Nigeria’s airspace open today?

    This was the question last night following the conflicting signal from the aviation industry.

    The Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said the airspace would open to traffic, but NAMA workers said it would be closed as a result of unresolved labour issues. It urged the public to disregard the NAMA statement.

    In a joint statement signed by Comrade Olayinka Abioye, Abdulkareem Motajo and Aba Ocheme at the end of an emergency meeting of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE ) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), the workers said: “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that the ultimatum issued against NAMA shall expire 0000 hrs 19th May 2013 and appropriate actions shall commence thereafter. In view of the reactionary, timid, and misleading statement by NAMA management through Supo Atobatele, who in the first instance is not the author of the ultimatum, we wish to reassure all our members that no retreat, no surrender, and until all grievances are sorted out, there is no going back on our cause of action”

    The Unions said all workers had been put on standby for the implementation of the action.

    But NAMA said the airspace would remain open to traffic, “despite the unwarranted threat from some trade union leaders who have vowed in their cocoons to endanger safety and security within the nation’s airspace”.

    It assured all the foreign airlines that the nation’s airspace would be open to traffic and urged them to continue to file in their normal flight plan without exercising any fear.

    Director-General Nnamdi Udoh said he was surprised that the workers’ representatives at the Friday meeting could suddenly have changed their mind to continue deliberation on the matter.

    A statement by Atobatele said: “The management maintained that shortly after receiving approval from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, the agency immediately embarked on the process of implementation by setting up an advisory committee which was all- inclusive, comprising management staff, accounts staff and representatives from the trade unions.

    “Based on the report of the advisory committee, the management commenced since February,2013 the full payment of the new consolidated salary structure as approved and promised to pay 13 months arrears thereafter.

    “There was a letter of commendation from the unions to that effect, even though they asked the management to look into some grey areas of the approved salary structure. Perhaps, this informed the agitation for further increase outside the approved salary by the wages commission.

    “It may interest the public that an average top official of the agency earns additional N100,000 to his or her salary following the implementation of the new salary structure and the condition of service which makes it far above the approved structure from the wages commission.

    “Despite this obvious improvement on the welfare package of staff, the unions pressed for three things; between 5-10% increase in the basic salary, lump sum payment of leave bonus and commencement in the payment of arrears.

    “The management has been faithful and transparent in the implementation of the new salary structure. Despite this, the managing director last week directed the Human Resources department to sit down with the union leaders and the finance department to look at the so called grey areas.

    “The process was still on when the strike threat came, though without prior notice to the management. We confirm again that the last Friday meeting was conducted in a friendly atmosphere during which the meeting was further adjourned till today (Monday).

    “In view of the above and considering the meeting held on Friday in Lagos, which was adjourned till this morning (Monday), one could see that there is no need for this threat and confrontational posture from the trade unions, except for other ulterior motives best known to the sponsors of this so called strike as there is no declaration of trade dispute where the federal ministry of labour would have intervened.