Aviation Unions to Picket Arik Over Staff Welfare

• Aviation Unions to Picket Arik Over Staff Welfare

The National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers have threatened to shut down Arik Air’s operations for failing to implement the agreement reached with them in December concerning some members of staff of the carrier who were sacked.

The union had last month grounded the operations of the airline on the issue before the intervention of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

The Secretary General, NUATE, Olayinka Abioye, told our correspondent that the airline had failed to implement the agreement reached last year.

“There is going to be appropriate action against Arik for reneging on the agreement it reached with us through the NCAA. Every legal action that we deem possible against the airline will be taken soon,” he said.

The unions had made their threat known in a petition to the NCAA dated January 17, 2017 and signed by their general secretaries.

Copies of the petition were sent to the Managing Director of Arik Air, Mr. Chris Ndulue; and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.

According to the union, the issue of members of staff who were laid off was to be discussed on January 10, 2017.

It added that the airline also failed to honour the law regarding unionisation of staff despite signing an undertaking.

The petition read in part, “It may interest you to note again that today, 17/01/2017, the management still failed to be available for the event that was postponed at their instance without any reason whatsoever for their absence. These matters are hereby brought to your attention as the mediator on the dispute for your information and necessary intervention to avoid any untoward consequences.

“As we shall not accept responsibility for any breakdown in industrial relations at Arik Air as a consequence of the reported reckless actions on the part of the management, especially considering that we did warn at the meeting that the Arik Air we knew would not comply with the agreement.”

When contacted, the NCAA acknowledged receiving the petition but declined further comments on the issue.