Our Reporter

Some aviation unions have complained that some of its members are being unfairly treated by their employers.

The unions are National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP).

At a briefing in Lagos on Wednesday, NUATE General Secretary, Ocheme Aba; the Deputy General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Frances Akinjole, and ANAP Secretary-General, Abdulrazaq Saidu, claimed that more than 80 per cent of their members in the past four months had been coping with half or less salary.

They accused airlines of barring their employees from unionism and that they had served notices on Arik Air, Aero Contractors, Turkish Airlines, Air Peace, Dana Air, Azman Air, Caverton Helicopters, and others  for a better deal or face their wrath.

The workers warned that unless they ameliorate their various situations, they would fight the airlines,

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They also said the negotiated conditions of service in most of the agencies had been lying fallow for over seven years and that the Minimum Wage Act, which was signed into law and took effect from April 1 had not been implemented by most agencies.

On the relocation of agencies to Abuja, the unions said they pointed at the crisis of COVID-19, the absence of budgetary provision for most, if not all the agencies in the budget, the unavailability of office buildings in Abuja, the absence of any real pressure to do so, and other extenuating circumstances which they had hoped would cause a change of strategy to a more pragmatic approach.

The unions also said they  opposed the ‘selective’ concession of four international airports through a ‘compromised integrity’ process. They said they had voiced their concerns and offered credible alternatives but that the Minister of Aviation, Captain Hadi Sirika would not listen.