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By Chinelo Obogo
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has kicked against the non-remittance of pensions and other benefits of its members in various airlines and agencies to the appropriate places as required by the law.
The NLC accused airlines of deducting pensions and other benefits from pilots and engineers in the sector, but alleged that these deductions are not appropriately remitted by operators.
To address the issue, NLC said that it would commence an action to reverse the situation and ensure that workers’ welfare and pensions are remitted accordingly.
Speaking at the symposium organised by the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) with the theme: ‘Effective Economic Regulation of the Aviation Industry As An Imperative For Safety and Workers Welfare,’’ in Port Harcourt,Rivers State.
President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, who was represented by the Vice President, Stephen Okoro, said that some of the airline operators treat pilots and engineers poorly.
He added that while the operators have denied the pilots and engineers the right to join any union or association of their choice, they airlines form and belong to various bodies locally and internationally.
He also said that some of the pilots and engineers are owed several months of salaries, which affected their psyche and performance, warning that such could negatively impact on safety and professional judgments of the technical personnel.
Going forward, he vowed that the NLC would work with sector associations, unions and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to change the narrative.
“Organisational outcomes are hugely dependent on the character and nature of the diverse capacities and dispositions of the workforce. It is also trite that whatsoever happens to a worker in the workplace either makes him to commit or withdraw from work.
“There is therefore a strong functional relationship between the sensitivity of workers at every given point in time with the quantum of organisational outcomes of which safety is one. A healthy workforce guarantees a healthy bottom line.
“The continued deployment of union bursting and union resisting measures by some employers within the sector is unacceptable. It is contradictory that aviation companies will hurriedly register with the various unions and associations of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), which is good, but at the same time deny their workers’ rights to belong to unions that bring together workers in the industry,” he said.
He also canvassed for a healthy workforce through prompt attention to welfare issues to ensure safety in the sector.
He challenged NCAA to make it mandatory for all pilots and engineers operating in the Nigerian airspace to belong to NAAPE for the good of the industry, adding that all foreign pilots and engineers must also be made to comply with this directive as a prerequisite for operating in the country.
In his welcome address, the national president of NAAPE, Abednego Galadima, in his welcome address, said that the association chose the theme in order to promote safety in the sector.
He also observed that most of the operators failed to pay salaries as at when due, while the issues of staff insurance, pensions and gratuities had been a major challenge in the sector.
He hoped that the theme would force an improved working relationship between the employers and employees.
He insisted that the employees should not be shortchanged by the employers.
He also called on the Rivers State Government to borrow a leaf from the Akwa Ibom State Government by setting up an airline and Maintenance, Repair Overhaul (MRO) facility, saying that this would lead to improved revenues to the state, while tourism would also increase.
He criticised the minimum of six aircraft for startup airlines, describing it as anti-business. He explained that there was no distinction for commercial airlines and General Aviation with the new regulation and called on the NCAA to reverse the policy for the good of the industry.
“The takeoff point for six aircraft is huge and prohibitive. The NCAA should maintain the three minimum aircraft for operators. Nobody starts big and even life itself, one starts small. The NCAA should still sustain the three minimum aircraft for operators,” he said.
The Managing Director, of 7 Star Hangar, Roland Ahmed, in his presentation, decried the current situation of Nigerian airlines.
He said that the policy of six aircraft for start up airline operators by NCAA was not well-thought-out and warned that it may hurt the industry.
He said that why the policy was successful in the banking industry, it may fail in the sector, urging the government to look inward to address the situation.
‘‘The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will not give you the minimum aircraft you have to start with, but individual aviation country would look at its economy, purchasing power, strength and its Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) before coming out with any law or policy for operators.
“In our current circumstance today, the feasibility is difficult. We are test running the regulations. Let’s see where it will take us to, but I think we may have a rethink at some points and see how we could go about it,” he said.
Ahmed also explained that collaboration would make the airlines more profitable, but feared that the owner-manager syndrome and the current unfavourable environment condition had continued to make partnership fail in the country.
