Conditions of service: AUPCTRE issues ultimatum, ready to ground aviation

Aviation workers under the aegis of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) have condemned the poor condition of service of workers of the various aviation agencies which they said have been on for seven years.

Equally, the Association of Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) have called for expeditious review of the condition of service of workers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET).

The groups, in a joint communiqué signed by the Deputy General Secretary, ATSSSAN, Francis Akinjole; General Secretary, NUATE, Ocheme Aba; Secretary-General, ANAP, Abdulrazaq Saidu and Deputy General Secretary  NAAPE, Umoh Ofonime, also called for the implementation of minimum wage/consequential adjustment that had been on since April 2019 in all aviation agencies, save for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.

The union leaders in their submission cited how they had run out of explanation to their members as to the basis for the delay in releasing the condition of service of the affected agencies.

The affected members had severally expressed their resolutions not to continue to render services without valid conditions of service.

According to them, “Our unions have severally conveyed our frustration over the aforementioned issues and have engaged the agencies’ management and other government agencies involved, including the Ministry of Aviation over the years with only minimal results.

“Based on the foregoing, the unions resolved that each union should, as a matter of urgency, take a decision and convey same to the appropriate authorities that this unwholesome circumstance can no longer be tolerated.”

The condition of service for NiMet has not been approved since 2003, while those of FAAN, NCAA, NAMA, and AIB have been with the Commission since 2001.

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It was also gathered that the condition of service was supposed to be reviewed every five years, but the National Salaries and Wages Commission (NSWC) had refused to effect the review without any cogent reason.

“The condition of service of all the aviation agencies have been held hostage by the Commission and we are only sensitising the government and the general public to what is going on.

“Salaries and Wages Commission has become a demi-god. People should know that if tomorrow the aviation workers decide to go on strike, they should know why.

“Before now, the Commission said they would want to harmonise the allowances of FAAN, NAMA, and NCAA, but we have explained to them why that will not be possible because they have different specialisations.

“For that of NiMet, only God knows the reason, because since 2003, they have been renewing it and the Commission held it for just no reason.

“While the one of 2003 was with them, we renewed the one of 2008; they also held it and that of 2013 till date for no cogent reason,” said Chris Omagbemi, third National Vice President of NUATE.

ANAP President, Saidu, said, “Conditions of Service is very important. When you get approval, there must be a letter and by the Act, it is the governing board of directors that is charged on day-to-day to approve the workers’ condition and promotion.