LOS
15th Nov 2011, 18:30
So, the chairman directly interferes with the maintenance of the aircraft?
Engineering staff members of Air Nigeria Monday embarked on strike over “unserviceable airplanes” on the airline’s fleet. Consequently, hundreds of the airline’s passengers scheduled to be airlifted at various airports across the country were stranded.
The engineers, THISDAY gathered, have the full backing of their professional body, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), whose president, Isaac Balami, alleged that the airline’s management forced the company’s head of maintenance to approve the operation of “unserviceable aircraft” for the airlift of passengers.
As at press time, Air Nigeria was yet to make a statement on the strike and explain what happened.
Air Nigeria in a statement signed by the management confirmed the disruptions to its flight operations “due to a trade dispute with some aircraft engineers in its employ.
“This dispute came about today (yesterday) as a result of a management change within the airline’s Maintenance department, which did not result in anyone losing their job. We have been informed that the Nigerian Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) have reacted to this change and raised other issues regarding the welfare of the engineers in the airline’s employment.
“All these have culminated in the airline’s engineers embarking on a strike action, causing significant disruptions of the airline’s operations.”
However, the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, in a telephone interview told THISDAY that the regulatory body had sent out its officials to investigate the issue and that the body would not take any position until it received a feedback from these officials.
Demuren also warned that such a sensitive issue should be attended to carefully, adding “We shall get to the bottom of it.”
Speaking to journalists, Balami further said the technical grounding of the airline’s flights became necessary following the sack of the head of maintenance of Air Nigeria, James Erigba, for “daring” to tell the management that some of the aircraft had snags (technical problems) and should be due for maintenance and therefore could not be used for flight operations. He also alleged that after the management had sacked Erigba, he was ordered to pack his belongings out of his office, adding that as far as NAAPE was concerned, the management of the airline was interfering with Erigba’s job, which had to do with safety issues.
He said of the 11 aircraft in the airline’s fleet, seven were serviceable, while four were unserviceable, adding that instead of allowing these aircraft with snags to go for maintenance, the management “pressurised” the head of maintenance to operate the aircraft.
“All Air Nigeria operations today (Monday) are cancelled. There will be no flight nationwide until the management of the airline makes explanations to us,” he said.
Balami also said firing Erigba without fair hearing was contrary to the company’s policy, noting that such action was not acceptable to the engineering department.
He insisted that the decision of Air Nigeria engineering staff members to down tools until the head of maintenance was recalled unconditionally was fully backed by NAAPE.
Balami said other issues the engineers in Air Nigeria had raised which NAAPE had supported included interference in the maintenance programme by the Chief Executive Officer of the company, lack of tools and spare parts to work, non-approval of leave since last year, lack of manpower, delay in the payment of the workers’ salaries and poor pay package.
Engineering staff members of Air Nigeria Monday embarked on strike over “unserviceable airplanes” on the airline’s fleet. Consequently, hundreds of the airline’s passengers scheduled to be airlifted at various airports across the country were stranded.
The engineers, THISDAY gathered, have the full backing of their professional body, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), whose president, Isaac Balami, alleged that the airline’s management forced the company’s head of maintenance to approve the operation of “unserviceable aircraft” for the airlift of passengers.
As at press time, Air Nigeria was yet to make a statement on the strike and explain what happened.
Air Nigeria in a statement signed by the management confirmed the disruptions to its flight operations “due to a trade dispute with some aircraft engineers in its employ.
“This dispute came about today (yesterday) as a result of a management change within the airline’s Maintenance department, which did not result in anyone losing their job. We have been informed that the Nigerian Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) have reacted to this change and raised other issues regarding the welfare of the engineers in the airline’s employment.
“All these have culminated in the airline’s engineers embarking on a strike action, causing significant disruptions of the airline’s operations.”
However, the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, in a telephone interview told THISDAY that the regulatory body had sent out its officials to investigate the issue and that the body would not take any position until it received a feedback from these officials.
Demuren also warned that such a sensitive issue should be attended to carefully, adding “We shall get to the bottom of it.”
Speaking to journalists, Balami further said the technical grounding of the airline’s flights became necessary following the sack of the head of maintenance of Air Nigeria, James Erigba, for “daring” to tell the management that some of the aircraft had snags (technical problems) and should be due for maintenance and therefore could not be used for flight operations. He also alleged that after the management had sacked Erigba, he was ordered to pack his belongings out of his office, adding that as far as NAAPE was concerned, the management of the airline was interfering with Erigba’s job, which had to do with safety issues.
He said of the 11 aircraft in the airline’s fleet, seven were serviceable, while four were unserviceable, adding that instead of allowing these aircraft with snags to go for maintenance, the management “pressurised” the head of maintenance to operate the aircraft.
“All Air Nigeria operations today (Monday) are cancelled. There will be no flight nationwide until the management of the airline makes explanations to us,” he said.
Balami also said firing Erigba without fair hearing was contrary to the company’s policy, noting that such action was not acceptable to the engineering department.
He insisted that the decision of Air Nigeria engineering staff members to down tools until the head of maintenance was recalled unconditionally was fully backed by NAAPE.
Balami said other issues the engineers in Air Nigeria had raised which NAAPE had supported included interference in the maintenance programme by the Chief Executive Officer of the company, lack of tools and spare parts to work, non-approval of leave since last year, lack of manpower, delay in the payment of the workers’ salaries and poor pay package.
