Aviation unions raise the alarm over mass sack in Aero Contractors

Organised Labour in the aviation sector yesterday raised the alarm over plans by Aero Contractors to sack 40 percent of its workers without compensation and similar fate hanging over the Arik Airline workforce.
The unions in the sector, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) have charged Federal Government Ministries and parastatals in charge of the sector to take drastic steps to salvage the industry as the collapse of the two airlines would be colossal.
Addressing media in Lagos on Monday, General Secretary, NUATE, Ocheme Aba, and his counterpart in ATSSSAN
Deputy General Secretary, Francis Akinjole, alleged that there are some forces toying with the operations of the two airlines, the consequence which would affect lives and livelihood of thousands of Nigerian citizens.
The unions said although the airline informed the unions and want the public to believe that the planned sack was due to high operating cost and the fact that the aircraft on Aero fleets are old.
“But, behind the facade of insolvency foisted on the two Airlines, and at the backstage of the pronounced going down of Aero Contractors in particular, it has been realized lies a deep brooding sea of hidden forces steeped in a hidden agenda,” the unions said.
The unions said the aircraft Aero operates, the B737 Classic generation, the oldest of which just clocked 30years are able to operate up to 85,000 cycles, or 100,000 flight hours as approved by the Manufacturer, Boeing. 
“None of these aircraft in Aero’s fleet has operated up to half of the approved figures. We stand to be proved wrong. While it is true that older aircraft do have higher maintenance costs, it must be borne in mind that the Airline owns an approved Maintenance & Repair Organisation (MRO) with elite Engineers in its fold. Till date, there is no report from the MRO, or the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) that any aircraft operated by Aero is too old to be maintained, or to fly. Or that there exist any shortfalls in Aero’s maintenance culture. On the contrary, Aero’s maintenance culture is rated among the very best. Therefore, this high flying lie of too old aircraft in Aero clearly bears ulterior motive,” the unions stated.
Rather the unions said the problem grinding the airlines was the phony lease contract with House of 5A’s by which Aero was given only three seats in a 180-seater Airbus at a fixed price of N35,000 per seat. 
While the contract last, the unions said the contract which was for the purpose of expanding the airline’s network, was supplanted by the leased aircraft who took all Aero aircraft on its juicy routes, pushing Aero aircraft to fringe routes with limited passenger intakes, lamenting that the same process is going on in Arik Airline presently. 
According to the unions, for the period that the lease lasted, the entire Aero Contractors was essentially working for House of 5A’s, as the lessor was making more money than the Airline itself. 
“No wonder the Airline ran itself into deep financial crisis and began to owe salaries unprecedentedly. But for the intervention of the unions which threatened to direct workers to withdraw services to the leased aircraft, Aero would still have been under the bondage of the House of 5A’s contract,” the unions said.
They acknowledged that they have witnessed sinister attempts to provoke a reaction from the workforce or the unions to withdraw services, which would provide the basis for the company to be shutdown.
The unions said if there should be an action in forcing a shutdown of Aero Contractor, over 700 direct aviation jobs would go down the drain.
According to the unions, a very solid aviation brand will become history. 
He said, “We would have been silent on Arik Air for now, but for the fact that the House of 5A’s lease arrangement that was chased out of Aero has found its way into Arik Air.
“Nigeria’s flourish- and-flounder phenomenon in the aviation industry will once again come to the fore. And the prospect of a growing aviation industry in Nigeria will receive a major setback. This would be unfortunate indeed.”
While calling on National Assembly, the Honourable Minister of Aviation, and the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment to use their good offices to cause an intervention that could save Aero and Arik, the workers and their families, as well as Nigeria’s aviation industry from imminent disaster, the
Unions also tasked AMCON to come to the aid of the two airlines and perhaps give them a five year breathing space.
According to them the forces beyond the action are toying with Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem. 
“And we hold strongly that these forces do not mean well for Nigeria, but may have a lot to benefit selfishly. As such, it is important for the Nigerian government and the Nigerian people to counter and neutralize these dark forces,” the unions charged.
The unions called on AMCON to immediately replace the Receiver Manager of Aero Contractors because the assignment is obviously well outside his competence, as clearly marked by his abdication of his role.