Aviation Unions Threaten To Shutdown NCAA Over Delay In Promotion

The Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) , have vowed to shutdown the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority of Nigeria (NCAA) over what it called ‘obsolete’ organogram in the agency.

The unions  lamented that the current system has hindered the promotion of  workers in the agency.

Speaking at the Workers’ Day celebration in Lagos,the President, Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) ,Comrade Illitrus Ahmadu, noted that  there was no going back in its plan to ensure unionisation of workers in the country’s airline agency before the end of the year.

Ahmadu pointed that some workers of NCAA went through promotion exercise in the agency since 2017, but added , none of them had been properly placed due to the ‘obsolete’ organogram in the agency still date.

Ahmadu reiterated that the unions addressed the issue with the management of NCAA and the Minister of State for Aviation,Hadi Sirika , but the entire agreement was upturned in Abuja.

He explained that as at date, 47 positions of Assistant General Managers (AGMs) had been extinguished, while directorates and departments had been amalgamated.

He said: “As it is, there is lacuna in the organogram of NCAA. the management brought forward an obsolete organogram. Between 2001 till date, the organogram has not been reviewed. At inception, NCAA had only 300 staff, but today, it has grown to 1,200 staff, yet, the organogram has remained unchanged.

“Many people that did exams and passed, but till date, they have not been placed. This one is unacceptable to us. If the situation continues, very soon, we will shutdown NCAA and that we will do very well.”

Speaking further the union boss noted that NCAA was still operating with the 2001 organogram, which it commenced with when the entire staff of the agency was just at 300, and management had refused to review it till date.

On his part ,President, NUATE ,Comrade Ben Nnabue, Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees maintained that it would a continue to resist the enslavement of its members in the catering sub-sector;  adding that it would ensure unionisation among the nation’s airlines.

Nnabue, also urged  Newrest ASL and Serve Air to ensure their total emancipation, while the cleaning services – Skycare and Lakewood would be added to the unions very shortly.

Apart from the agencies, he also mentioned Pathfinders Limited as one of the many companies whose managements had remained uncooperative on new condition of service for workers.

Nnabue lamented that most of the indigenous airlines in the country had refused their workers from joining the unions, while the foreign airlines fully complied with the law on unionization.

He emphasised that any tactic deployed by the managements of the airlines would be resisted by the unions, stressing that the unions would continue to protect the interest of every worker in the sector.

He said: “We shall continue to support our enslaved comrades in Newrest ASL and ServeAir to assure their total emancipation.

According to him, Skycare and Lakewood will be added to the mix very shortly.

“In the same vain, our workers emancipation programme will bring on board Air Peace, Med-View, Azman, Dana and all airlines as well as all other aviation organisations yet to be unionized.

“This will be achieved before the end of this year. Clearly this is no mean task. But, we all must rise up to this challenge. We have to do it because we must do it. We do it to posterity. No single worker in the aviation industry will be left unprotected under my watch.”

Furthermore, he stressed :”Besides, on the issue of Conditions of Service for workers, NUATE, described this as pathetic.