FG dialogues with stakeholders to prevent job losses in aviation sector
The minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has met with airline operators and trade unions in the aviation industry to discuss contentious issues, especially pay cuts, job losses and laying off of workers in the sector.
A statement by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, on Thursday, August 13, appealed to the stakeholders to join hands to make sure there are no job losses in the aviation industry as the cardinal principle of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is to prevent job losses.
Daily Times had reported that Air Peace recently sacked its pilots and other staff as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the statement, Ngige said the government would honour its pledge to provide palliatives in the form of “tax reduction, tax exemption, and elimination of customs duties on aircraft spares and logistics.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) would also provide stimulus package to encourage the operators in the industry,” the statement said.
READ ALSO: Why we sacked over 70 pilots and staff – Air Peace
It added that the minister appreciated the efforts of airline operators, especially Air Peace and Bristow Helicopters, in keeping faith and paying the salaries and allowances of their staff, when necessary, for the period of the COVID-19 epidemic.
The minister urged the operators to allow their employees exercise their right to unionisation, as Section 40 of Nigerian Constitution guaranteed: “We encourage the airline operators to allow members of staff who desire to go into unions to do so, as belonging to unions is a voluntary thing. Obstructing them from doing so is to curtail their fundamental rights as enshrined in our Constitution.”
“He disclosed that the management of Air Peace, the Minister of Aviation and the trade unions in the industry had already agreed that Air Peace would dialogue with their workers on the re-absorption of some of the sacked pilots and engineers, while those who had already got employment elsewhere would be allowed to go peacefully and with their entitlement.
“The minister directed the unions in Turkish Airlines to forward in writing their complaints about the victimisation of officers in the unions to the minister of Aviation, and copy the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.”
On Bristow Helicopters, Ngige noted that 90–95% of the issues had already been solved through social dialoguing, adding: “While we understand the plight of the employers, being that the volume of work in that organisation has dwindled from 50 aircraft business to an all-time low of 12 aircraft, we appeal to both management and workers to dialogue with a human face in order to save jobs.”
