Union laments anti-labour laws

The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has described the country’s aviation sector as one of the mostly hit by the ongoing economic recession.

The National President of ATSSSAN, Comrade Ahmadu D. Ilitrus, while speaking on behalf of the National Administrative Committee (NAC) at the May Day celebration at the Lagos Airport lamented how the situation has been made worse by the perennial scarcity and high cost of Jet-A1 and aircraft maintenance parameters.

The ATSSSAN leader equally cited what he called the ungodly interventions of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in the sector which he said prioritise capitals over labour concerns in some aviation undertakings saying “one of which is the present precarious situation our members of the Aero Contractors Airlines are been faced with.”

Illitrus, while speaking on the theme of the May Day, ‘Labour Relations in Economic Recession: An Appraisal,’ stated that the unexplainable anti-labour posture of denying workers the right to unionism by some private undertakings like; Dana Air; Medview Air; Bi-Courtney; Execujet and Arik Air, contradicted section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and other extant labour laws are also part of the problems of the sector.

He, however, described as a national security risk and economic terrorism the determination of the Federal government to concession the country’s four international airports declaring:“ATSSSAN will maintain that government should not embark on  any concession which does no good to our members in particular, and the nation in general.