TomBola
23rd May 2007, 17:38
It seems that Nigerian aviation workers unions may try to stop all air operations unless former Nigeria Airways workers have their back salary and pensions paid:
Aviation Workers Vow to Stop Air Operations
Aviation Unions Grand Alliance (AUGA), umbrella body for all aviation workers in the country, has given the Federal Government 21-days ultimatum to pay 5,465 former workers of Nigeria Airways their salary and pension arrears, which have been denied them for five years, failure to which it threatened to suspend air operations in the nation's airspace.
The workers gave the ultimatun in a world conference held yesterday in Lagos, and reprimanded the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo-led Federal Government for its insensivity to the plights of Nigerians who laboured at the defunct Nigeria Airways.
In an address which was signed by secretaries of the three major unions in the industry, Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers (NAAPE), the wokers said they want the Federal Government to pay the workers part of both salary and pension arreas. The workers said they were owed 45 per cent of gratuity and 55 per cent of salary arreas for more than 31 months.
The workers said "all unions in the aviation industry have decided that we shall make the airspace unsafe for flying after 21 days of this petition."
In their address, the workers outlined their position and stated thus, "the fact of workers/pensioners staying up to five years without their due and statutory entitlements is wicked, inhuman and totally unacceptable."
They also observed that their colleagues were denied their entitlements at this time the nation's economy has become bouyant, remarking that they had it on good authority that their counterparts who were based in London have received their full entitlements, adding, "it is evident that ex-workers of Nigeria Airways did serve the country meritoriously, and therefore truly deserve their entitlements. This position cannot be compromised."
Obasanjo at the May 9, 2007 Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, stepped down the issue of payment of the workers after the Minister for Transportation, Cornelius Adebayo, made a memo to the FEC for ratification of the Presidency.
However, Obasanjo had earlier approved the report of an inter-ministerial committee, which prompted Adebayo to make further presentation for ratification.
Aviation Workers Vow to Stop Air Operations
Aviation Unions Grand Alliance (AUGA), umbrella body for all aviation workers in the country, has given the Federal Government 21-days ultimatum to pay 5,465 former workers of Nigeria Airways their salary and pension arrears, which have been denied them for five years, failure to which it threatened to suspend air operations in the nation's airspace.
The workers gave the ultimatun in a world conference held yesterday in Lagos, and reprimanded the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo-led Federal Government for its insensivity to the plights of Nigerians who laboured at the defunct Nigeria Airways.
In an address which was signed by secretaries of the three major unions in the industry, Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers (NAAPE), the wokers said they want the Federal Government to pay the workers part of both salary and pension arreas. The workers said they were owed 45 per cent of gratuity and 55 per cent of salary arreas for more than 31 months.
The workers said "all unions in the aviation industry have decided that we shall make the airspace unsafe for flying after 21 days of this petition."
In their address, the workers outlined their position and stated thus, "the fact of workers/pensioners staying up to five years without their due and statutory entitlements is wicked, inhuman and totally unacceptable."
They also observed that their colleagues were denied their entitlements at this time the nation's economy has become bouyant, remarking that they had it on good authority that their counterparts who were based in London have received their full entitlements, adding, "it is evident that ex-workers of Nigeria Airways did serve the country meritoriously, and therefore truly deserve their entitlements. This position cannot be compromised."
Obasanjo at the May 9, 2007 Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, stepped down the issue of payment of the workers after the Minister for Transportation, Cornelius Adebayo, made a memo to the FEC for ratification of the Presidency.
However, Obasanjo had earlier approved the report of an inter-ministerial committee, which prompted Adebayo to make further presentation for ratification.