Aviation industry unions on Wednesday warned the Management of Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) not to embark on its planned payment of incomplete salaries to staff, predicting dire consequences for the action.
Newsmen report that the unions are National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN).
Others are the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
The unions gave the warning in a letter jointly signed by Deputy General Secretary, ATSSSAN, Frances Akinjole; General Secretary, NUATE, Ocheme Aba; General Secretary, ANAP, Abdulrasaq Saidu; and Agcting General Secretary, AUPCTRE, Musa Ukpo in Lagos.
In the letter addressed to the Managing Director, NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu titled: Incomplete Staff Salary: A Recipe for Avoidable Crisis’’, the unions strongly advised against the attempt.
According to the letter, in the light of the contemplated management intention against our members’ salaries, we hereby, strongly demand that full salaries and other entitlements as due to our members be paid on or before June 29.
“We have again been reliably informed that NAMA management is contemplating a payment of incomplete salaries to staff of the agency for the month of June this year.
“If this is true, it is our unions’ opinion that the intended action would amount to gross embarrassment to our aviation industry, the Federal Government of Nigeria and the entire people of this great country.
“Our unions, therefore, strongly advise against the attempt because, the consequences may be more damaging than what might have been envisaged.
“Going forward, we are compelled to suggest that management be properly guided on how to address issues that concern salaries of our members in the agency.
“While we sincerely concede to the effectiveness of management continuous rapport with our in-house branches executives in NAMA for effective management of workers’ welfare and sustenance of industrial harmony.
“The correct position is that it is wrong for the management to even discuss any alteration to our members’ salaries without recourse to the national unions,’’ the unions said.
The unions warned that failure of meeting this demand might attract any action deemed necessary to protect the dignity of labour of their members without further warning from their unions.
