FOLLOWING the dwindling finances of Aero contractors and the subsequent inability of its management to meet up with the salary obligations, workers of the airline have called for the review of the agreement that brought in two Airbus aircraft into the fleet of the airline.
This came just as workers of the airline have threatened strike action should the management failed to address issues raised with them over workers welfare which include, lifting suspension on their condition of Service, rightful placement, payment of salaries and withdrawal of the two Airbus aircraft from Aero lucrative routes
The two aircraft, it was learnt were deployed to Aero Contractors lucrative routes while the original aircraft of the airline have been rendered redundant by given it sometimes one slot.
A worker of the airline who spoke under anonymity revealed how last Thursday out of the five Abuja slots for Aero contractors aircraft, four slots were given to the Airbus while only one slot was allotted to real Aero aircraft.
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According to information gathered, out of the 180 seats on the Airbus, only three was allocated to Aero, a development described as a way to strangle the airline and called for 10 per cent of the total seats to be given to the airline by Airbus.
While calling on the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) to speak up on the issue, the workers declared: “Aero has not owed salaries since the present management came on board but with the Airbus agreement, everything nosedived. Individuals are now getting the revenue that airline workers were supposed to be collecting as generated by Aero aircraft.
“As it is now, it is a one sided agreement and we don’t know those that negotiated the agreement. There is nothing bad in having the Airbus planes in Aero fleet but it should not be used to kill the airline as it is going now. Aero does not have money and it is difficult to pay workers salary. They said they have paid 70 per cent, the 70 per cent is for junior workers, the bulk of the salaries have not been paid”
Commenting on the controversy, president of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Comrade Abednego Galadima promised that the issue of the Airbus will be looked into to examine the agreement.
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