An aviation labour union, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has said it was not against the move of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) floating an airline in the country but insisted that the assets management company must address and settle labour issues it created in Arik Air before going ahead with the new airline.
This was made known at an open congress held by the union over the weekend at the entrance of Arik Air premises, Domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Speaking at the Congress, the Secretary General of NUATE, Comrade Aba Ocheme said the union was happy to hear that a new airline was about to be established in the country.
He said such move would create employment for more members of the union and increase productivity in the industry and grow the economy.
Ocheme however reiterated that the position of the union was the status of its members who are owed salaries and yet to be called from compulsory leaves or being deployed illegally to work in the new airline must be made know
“Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) has chosen to float a new airline known as NG Eagle. As an aviation trade union, NUATE considers this to be a very positive and welcome development. A new airline would normally create job opportunities, provide incentives for deeper business penetration and generally widen the Nigerian aviation horizon. To these extents, all stakeholders, ourselves inclusive, must extend warm welcome to the NG Eagle when it finally unveils.” He continued,
“But, there are ominous signs that what should ordinarily be a lofty project will likely run into a heavy storm being created by a thoroughly fouled and convoluted industrial atmosphere at Arik Air. We consider it most unfortunate that an odd combination of AMCON’s egoistic, evasive and self-defeating tendencies on the one hand, and Arik Air’s unrelenting penchant for courting crisis on the other hand, as well as severally demonstrated lack of capacity/disdain for labour relations practice have evoked a perplexing atmosphere of forlornness in the Airline. Under this atmosphere, it is practically impossible to be hopeful of any good thing. Hence, our misgivings concerning NG Eagle.”
The union which doubted the sincerity of AMCON at running three airlines; two of which are in comatose, said, “We wish to use this medium to pose the following questions which expose the evil machinations inherent in AMCON’s/Arik Air’s unholy craft and perfidy called NG Eagle:
“Presently AMCON is in receivership of two airlines – Arik Air and Aero Contractors – being a 60 percent shareholder in the latter. One should then ask why AMCON would be floating another Airline. We smell a rat.”
The union however alleged that AMCON was not interested in the survival of the two airlines under its receivership, but to strip them of their assets and form its own airline from the ruins of the troubled airlines under its care.
“We decipher that AMCON’s unstated objective is to open a window of business opportunity as a way to recoup its heavy financial losses through the heavy debts in Arik and Aero. But, surely NUATE can’t be the only ones wondering what sort of business ingenuity there could be in running three airlines simultaneously.
“We have it on good authority that AMCON’s real intention is to sidestep the debt overhang, particularly in Arik air, while continuing to make money from the airline business without any real capital injection. This it intends to achieve by moving all valuable assets of Arik Air, including human asset, into the new NG Eagle,” it alleged.
This, the union believed would not be in the interest of its members whose job security and entitlements from previous engagements in Arik Air are seriously threatened under the new arrangement.
“The questions are, what becomes of the carcass of Arik Air and its personnel after such evil wind?
“Presently, AMCON has already moved some Personnel of Arik Air to NG Eagle while being loudly silent on the service records of such personnel in Arik Air. What happens to the previous years of service, or how assured is the security of such service in their new assignments? Or, shall such service be in vain?,” the union lamented.
While it alleged that AMCON and the management of Arik have arrogated to themselves the powers to probate and reprobate on all issues pertaining to status of employees in this ingenious business melodrama, with complete disregard to subsisting collective bargaining agreements and relevant labour laws, NUATE accused the Federal government and its agencies of compromise in the ongoing anti-labour process precipitated by AMCON and management of Arik Air against the workers.
“Is NUATE expected to cheer them on to the neglect of its responsibilities and obligations to its members in the airline?
If this conundrum by AMCON will lead to depopulation of the employed and increase in poverty, as is clearly established, shouldn’t one wonder why the Government and its relevant agencies appear to either be acquiescent or in actual aid of the furtherance of the obnoxious objective? Are we permitted to ask of our leaders the rationale behind the uninhibited aiding and abetting of this social-economic criminality?,” it alleged.
It continued, “while committing the societal aspects of this brazen effrontery to the court of public opinion, and urging urgent intervention by appropriate government agencies – Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Aviation, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, etc – we have raised the labour aspects before the Management of Arik Air as trade disputes.”
NUATE however said, “Should the Management raise itself to the needed open mindedness and heartedness then we are willing and desirous of resolving them amicably as expected of progressive social partners.
“Then we shall welcome NG Eagle with our Solidarity Song and pop champagne.”
NUATE therefore reiterated its position that should AMCON refused to toe the line of industrial harmony by refusing to drop the anti labour practice it wanted to introduce in Arik Air and by extension NGEagle, it may be forced to call its members out for
“But, in the event that the reverse of the above is the case, then we shall sing our Solidarity Song as a call to the struggle to fight for the rights of Arik Air’s long suffering employees. The ball is in their court,” NUATE challenged.
