NAAPE Gives Bristow, Air Peace Two Weeks Ultimatum to Reverse Action

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has issued a two-week ultimatum to Airlines, which have sacked or planning to sack their Pilots and Engineers, to reverse the action or they would withdraw their service across all Airlines.

Earlier in the week, shortly after NAAPE directed all its members working with Bristow to discontinue their service, the management of Bristow Helicopter immediately announced it would sack about 100 pilots and engineers over a period of few weeks to better manage its weak financial position caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement was made on the same day, Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest carrier, disclosed that it would also be letting go about 70 pilots due to a similar reason.

Comrade Abednego Galadinma, the President, NAAPE, who spoke on the situation at a press conference held at Airport Hotel in Ikeja Lagos,  said: “We demand that Bristow and Air Peace should immediately recall all sacked Pilots and Aircraft Engineers until all labour issues are resolved or be grounded by NCAA because of attendant safety concerns created by their action.

“As a result of the known consequences of these illegal actions and our commitment to patriotic fervour, we shall be forced to withdraw our guarantee of industrial peace within the industry if this call is not heeded within two weeks.

”Our union will be left with no other option but to withdraw the services of Pilots and Aircraft Maintenance Engineers across all the airlines.’’

Galadinma added that some of the airlines were operating during the lockdown which means the COVID -19 which they are using as an excuse did not affect revenue from essential services like oil and gas.

It would be recalled that Bristow Helicopter had blamed its decision on the disruption of services in the oil and gas sector.

Therefore, Galadinma said “Operators especially Bristow Helicopters have rendered our members redundant despite assurances by government of support for their businesses in return for operators not laying off staff.

“These operators are already running on lean manpower with disproportionate number being expatriates yet, without regards to our expatriates and local content laws and executive order (5) they gave gone ahead to lay off staff under the guise of COVID-19 pandemic.”

“And they cannot be using COVID-19 as an excuse because the cessation of flight operations did not affect essential services like the oil and gas and Bristow and Caverton were operating during the lockdown. In fact, you’d recall that our members were held by the Rivers State Government during the lockdown, so how can they be using COVID-19 as an excuse.

”it is on record that Bristow Helicopters operated throughout the lockdown supporting oil and gas operations with government approval and guarantees service contracts in the same national interest but are now using COVID-19 to force redundancy on our members.