From 00.00hours on Monday August 3, 2020 members of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) will completely withdraw all services rendered to Bristow Helicopters indefinitely.
The industrial action is coming after another break down of negotiations on the call for the renewal of Condition of Service (COS) for pilots and engineers and other sundry matters in the airline.
NAAPE had on July 15, 2020 embarked on a three day warning strike at Bristow Helicopters which seemed not getting attention of the airline’s management to expedite action to address the situation.
NAAPE has in another letter signed by the Deputy National Secretary, Umoh Ofonime with Ref NS/GS/NAAPE/vol.051/2020 and dated July 29, 2020, informed its members of the strike in Bristow; even as it explained its journey so far with the management of the airline.
The letter in part read:
“NAAPE had previously instructed members in the employment of Bristow Helicopters to embark on a 3-day warning strike at the expiration of which an olive branch was extended to the Bristow management of a seven day notice period during which the union had held out hope of an amicable resolution to the items under contention but unfortunately Bristow management was unable to proffer any solution even after the union graciously extended the seven day notice period at the behest of the Bristow management.
The union, in the letter further highlighted some of the issues under contention which included management’s proposal to suspend the Condition of Service negotiations and their deliberate subversion of established terms of agreement with union.
The letter also pointed out as reason management’s insistence on benchmarking salaries of national pilots and engineers to an obsolete rate of NGN345/$1 coupled with their recent insistence on their proposal to implement NGN355/$1- a rate which is not obtainable on any legal foreign exchange window in the world while still paying expatriate foreigners their full remuneration in United States dollars.
“Failure to train qualified persons for ATPL and failure to fully reimburse individuals who have successfully completed their ATPL through self sponsorship – a deviation from the agreement in place at the time and disproportionate matching and capped reimbursement cash figure for self-sponsored pilots on ATPL with an employment bond of 30 million naira – An obvious unethical and sharp practice.
Other include,” Odious laying off of young cadet and trainee engineers after several years of tearful sacrificial toiling on the basis of a promised career in the company and now in extension of the insatiable thirst of nulling our vitality, the company is prepping for a preposterous and unjustifiable redundancy of engineers and pilots hitherto grossly mistreated vis-à-vis the company’s non-adherence to expatriate quota law, national content law and presidential executive order No.5
As well as, “Anomalous implementation of Engineers matrix/chart/progression and refusal to adjust national engineers’ progression in tandem with expatriate nationals and global aviation standards and the norm of jettisoning negotiated agreements as in the case of systemic dissolution of engineering work shift in Eket operation.
According to NAAPE, it has consistently engaged Bristow management for amelioration of these issues to no avail.
“ As a result of these blatant discriminatory policies and consistent victimization of Nigerian nationals at the hands of Bristow management our members are no longer mentally conditioned to safely deliver their professional obligations under such absurd, discriminatory and excruciating work environment.
“NAAPE uses this medium to issue a strong warning to any detractor to steer away from any acts of sabotage or betrayal. Expatriates are particularly advised not to engage in any actions which may be viewed as an act of sabotage- such action shall define anyone who acts otherwise as an antagonist of good faith and will be met with the appropriate response. To this effect, NAAPE expects and demands full compliance from all members including Chief Engineers and Chief Pilots,’ the strike notice read.
