The Federal Government has been given a two week ultimatum by aviation unions, within which it has to pay the N45bn final severance packages to the almost 6,000 workers of the former workers of Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) or have the nation’s airspace shutdown.
The unions also expressed their displeasure on the insensitivity of the Ministry of Finance to pay the workers over 10 months after the approval had been given by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The unions, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) in a petition to the Federal Government, said that they would not wait until the entire workers of the former national carriers died before taking step to ensure that they were paid their benefits.
The petition, dated March 19, 2018 and made available to journalists was signed by Comrade Ocheme Aba for NAAPE, Comrade Frances Akinjole, ATSSSAN and Alayinka Abioye for NUATE was addressed to Sen. Hadi Sirika the Minister of State for Aviation and copied to the Ministers of Labour and Employment and Finance.
The petition read in part: “However, it is disheartening that the Honourable Minister of Finance has unconsciously and negatively priotised the President’s directive on this matter. She has equally in a most uncaring manner, refused to heed all entreaties by the hapless ex-workers.
“Not even the cries of the growing list of the avoidable deaths and other afflictions created by their excruciating conditions of existence had pinched the minister’s rock hard heart. Our previous letters to the minister has failed to move her just as earlier letter from the NLC on the matter.
“As we can no longer wait for all the ex-staff of the Nigeria Airways to die before entitlements are paid, we are therefore, compelled to force Adeosun to come to terms with the reality of the situation and be rid of her gross insensitivity”.
To prove their seriousness on the demand, the unions disclosed that they had commenced the mobilisation of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United Labour Congress (ULC) in a bid to gather wider support for the action.
“In view of the above, we are sad to inform you that all workers in the aviation sector will commence an indefinite industrial action in 14 days should the ex-Nigeria Airways workers fail to receive their entitlements as graciously approved. We have also commenced the mobilisation of NLC, TUC and ULC towards assuring wider support for this objective,” the petition pointed out.
It would be recalled that the ex-workers had accused Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun of willfully delaying the payment of the severance packages despite approval by the government.
It is on record that controversies have continued to trail the whereabouts of the approved N45bn terminal benefits of the former national carrier, since its approval.
