Nigerian Flight Deck Travel and Business Reportage
- engages Falana to challenge concession plan
ASSOCIATION of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) has described as victimization and anti-trade union, the mass transfer of its members in the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Branch out of Abuja.
This is just as the union has revealed plans to engage the services of Femi Falana Chambers for legal services against the planned concession canvassed by the Hon Minister of Aviation
The union has called on the Ministers of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika and Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige to call the Director General of NIMET, Prof Abubakar Mashi and management to order forthwith
The call is part of the resolution reached by ANAP’s Pre-Conference National Executive (NEC) meeting, held on the 7th February, 2019 at Bezer Hotel, Sango Ota in Ogun State.
Emphasizing on their laid down plans against the transfer, ANAP in a communique issued to journalists at the weekend stated that, “The ANAP National Secretariat was mandated to immediately give a 7-day ultimatum to NIMET management to reverse these transfers, in view of series of pleading attempts by National Administrative Council (NAC) officials prevailing on NIMET to reverse the transfers but to no avail. If NIMET management is still adamant, ANAP members should withdraw their services nationwide immediately after the expiration of the 7-day ultimatum during which a solidarity support by other members in the aviation agencies shall be given”.
In the document, ANAP expressed its strong opposition to the concession of airports as being canvassed by the Hon Minister of Aviation, adding that it would apply option B to protest against concession, just as the union informed that, the NEC had already mandated NAC and National Secretariat to engage the services of Femi Falana Chambers for legal services against concession.
On the conditions of Service (CoS) of aviation agencies, ANAP stated that it has been reviewed, signed and passed through due processes to the National Income, Salaries and Wages Commission about 7 years ago but that it is still being withheld by the Salaries and Wages Commission for an “unacceptable reason”.
The NEC therefore, called on the aviation Ministry, CEOs of agencies and Chairman, Salaries and Wage Commission to approve and release all the Agencies CoS now in custody of Salaries and Wages Commission within 14 days from 7th February, 2019; failure which all aviation workers shall embark on an industrial strike action.
The NEC in session also resolved that the current NAC as constituted should be expanded to include NIMET and other relevant agencies to a maximum of 11 members.
Subject to the ratification by the Delegates Conference, the NEC in session resolved to set up the Employment Committee at the conference to handle all recruitment of ANAP and report back to the next NEC meeting for ratification.
Meanwhile, this Employment Committee should be set up by Delegates Conference and report to the next NEC for final ratification.
A vote of confidence was also passed on the existing NAC members and resolved to forward NEC decision to the Delegates Conference for ratification having been expanded to 11 NAC membership.
