Unions suspend picketing of Caverton Helicopters
Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo
The joint picketing of Caverton Helicopters today by the National Union of Air Transport Employees(NUATE) and four other labour fronts have been called off.
The other unions that had geared up for the picketing are Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Nigeria Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers(NAAPE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN)
and Amalgamated of Unions of Civil Servant Technical and Recreational Services (AUCPTER).
However, before the picketing began the management of Caverton Helicopters and top officials of the Unions went into a closed-door meeting.
At the end of the meeting, the Secretary-General of NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Abah confirmed that the two issues at stake have been amicably resolved and that the Management of Caverton Helicopters has agreed to pay severance package to workers made redundant by the management
and also allow workers to unionise without hindrance as their right to freedom of association as guaranteed by the country’s constitution and Nigeria’s Labour Law.
Details of the agreement are expected to be endorsed by all the parties involved,
Comrade Abah said this was why the picketing of Caverton Helicopters premises was suspended with beliefs that management would stick with the tenets of the amicable resolutions reached.
However, labour unions went ahead to picket two in-flight catering services company, ASLnewcrest and Serve Air who were alleged not to have in place the acceptable condition of service for their staff and also disallowed their workers to associate freely with the union of their choice
Specifically, at ASLnewcrest, Comrade Abah accused the management of operating ‘a slave camp’ where workers are subjected to inhuman treatment with no condition of service,
while those laid off through management imposed redundancy policy have not been paid off several months after their severance, while disallowing those in service to freely unionise.
The protest march which began at the local airport road roundabout at about 9.00am terminated at the ASL premises where Comrade Abah addressed the workers at about noon.
