May 1, (THEWILL) – The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has warned Turkish Airlines operating in the country over its perceived anti-labour practices.
The labour union said it is seriously disturbed that Turkish Airlines continues to disguise its disapproval of the presence of the union in the airline by sacking union members under the pretence of cooked-up charges.
In his May Day speech on Wednesday, the President of NUATE, Comrade Ben Nnabue, said the airline’s intentions of getting rid of all workers who belong to the union to make way for new employees who will be compelled not to join the union, or to veer into employing a GSA are very obvious to the NUATE.
The President, however, vowed that the effort of Turkish Airlines to rubbish the union and make scapegoats of its members will meet with colossal failure, adding that the union has the capacity to put the airline in its place and restore the dignity of labour of its victimised members.
Emphasising that aviation agencies are only cost recovery agencies, Nnabue maintained that it is impossible to maintain aviation safety-critical infrastructure and processes under the regime of 50% deductions from the agencies at source.
Instead of aviation workers being disgraced for causing safety and security breaches due to the unavailability of required funds, Nnabue assured that NUATE may have to withdraw its services and allow agents of revenue collection to take over the functions and perform them without the necessary funding.
Nnabue also pointed out that the review of the Conditions of Service of aviation agencies has become very urgent, stressing that the previous reviews took up to nine years to receive approval.
“We, therefore, call on the agencies to answer the call from the Unions to commence the process of the review without further delay. That only the NCAA has answered this call up to date is extremely disturbing. We state here categorically that NUATE will not hesitate to take any further steps to assert our right in this regard should the remaining managements of FAAN, NSIB, NIMET, NAMA and NCAT continue to neglect our strident calls,” Nnabue warned.
While commending the Hon. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, for his highly notable efforts at settling the final leg of payments to the hapless ex-staff of the defunct Nigeria Airways, Nnabue advised the Minister not to relent until the matter is fully laid to rest.
This is just as he called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to harken to the pleas of the suffering former workers and approve the request before him for the release of the final payment tranche so as to put this epic case to final closure.
Nnabue equally warned that the NUATE will replicate the national campaign held recently in Lagos for the unionisation of private domestic airlines in Nigeria.
This campaign, he said, will be replicated in Abuja and Kano, adding that “this is the final leg of peaceable approach to getting Air Peace, Ibom Air, Azman Air, Max Air, Value Jet, Green Africa, Rano Air, United Nigeria Airlines, AOS Helicopters, Dana Air and others to embrace the reality of allowing their workers to join the union and eschew the foolhardiness of disapproval of the Nigerian laws that guarantee free association.
“Let me also assure all industry stakeholders that NUATE stands ready to find peaceable solutions to all industrial relations issues through constructive dialogue. But, as is often said, only one hand cannot clap. We hope, therefore, that all stakeholders will equally hold out their hearts to open and fair engagements as a panacea for a good industrial atmosphere in the aviation sector.”
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
