Aviation union members yesterday protested at the Lagos Airport, Ikeja, over alleged brutality of their members by officers and men of the Nigeria Police, at Caverton Helicopters Company.
They alleged that the management of the company directed the Rapid Respond Squad (RRS) to brutalise and molest their members, who last week protested non-payment of the redundancy benefits.
The protest made passengers and motorists to be stranded on the roads leading to the local and international airports.
The protesters chanted solidarity songs, urging the police to stay within their limits.
The National President, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ben Nnabue, said it was unacceptable for the police to be involved in the matters of the unions when they were unaware of the genesis of the issues.
He alleged that the protest was to express their displeasure about the brutalisation of their members and because Caverton Helicopters Company refused to fulfil the agreement reached with them on the redundancy benefits.
The Secretary-General, Association of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Francis Akinjolie, said the involvement of the police in the matter was uncalled for, adding that the unions were “irked about this development and they will not take it lightly with the police for dabbling in matters that do not concern them, to the extent of injuring our members.”
He alleged that the unions had it on good authority that it was the tradition of the company to embark on redundancy exercise and later re-absorbed the employees as casual workers.
The union leaders said the Caverton Helicopters Company management scheduled a meeting with the unions this morning to discuss with a view to ending the continuous picketing of the company.
The company is said to have pleaded for six weeks to garner funds to offset what was owed the disengaged workers.
The unions also picketed two catering companies, ASL and Servair.
Officials of the Lagos State Task Force were deployed to man the gates where members of the unions protested.
Comrade Nnabue alleged that the two companies prevented their workers, who were interested in joining the unions, from doing so, adding that some of them had been suspended.
He said the unions would not take it lightly with any organisation, which threatened, harassed or stopped any of their members interested in unionism.
The unions involved in the protest were the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Association of Air Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Services Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
