NUATE kicks against concession, frowns at deplorable work conditions at NCAA

NATIONAL Executive Council (NEC) of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have called on the Federal Government to immediately stop the concession of Nigerian airports, to avoid industrial crisis that may arise as the government has failed to carry along stakeholders on this germane matter.

These were part of the resolutions reached at the NEC meeting held on August 26, 2016 at the Princess Luxury Hotels in Ilorin, Kwara State

In the  communique signed by General Secretary of NUATE, Olayinka Olu Abioye and made available to Nigerianflightdeck.com by the Secretariat, NUATE leadership is of the opinion that Federal government should implement reports already approved by the Minister following the verification exercise carried out by government at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other aviation agencies, to determine proper structural balance in recruitment and placement of (certain political) appointees into positions in these agencies.

The statement read, “ the NEC in session hereby demands full implementation of the committees report already approved by the Minister, to ensure proper staff placement, avoid current career disconnect, mistrust and correct the administrative incongruities caused by the irregular employment of these political jobbers.”

The Union further called for a prohibition on recruitment of personnel on grade levels 10 and above at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) as such exercise has become a drain pipe in the fortunes of the authority.

In the statement the union also expressed unhappiness at what it posited was “the deplorable state of affairs in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) whereby office infrastructures had decayed and become obsolete to the extent that pieces of furniture, working tools, including computers, photocopiers and accessories have taken flight in the NCAA.”

NUATE decried that employees had to resort to the use of their personal laptops for official use, trek distances to photocopy documents at a grave security risk to the aviation house, where canteens facilities are lacking in other regions.

Aside this glaring unwholesome and pathetic situation, the union demanded urgent explanation from the management of the NCAA as to its failure and or inability to provide office accommodation to its employees at the Port Harcourt International Airport.

It disclosed that it was established that workers on duty each day had to rotate sitting in the available waiting office space, while some had to loiter while waiting for a chair or table to work.

“In consonance with the provisions as contained in the NCAA Conditions of Service therefore, the NEC in-session hereby demands that Management must urgently set in motion the appropriate machinery to put in place within its four other regions, necessary infrastructures obtainable at its Headquarters, as these had been (budgetary) approved in all its budgets.”

“In tandem with extant Public Service Rules and best practices, the current irregularities in the career growth and staff development of employees in the Directorates of Operations and Licensing be corrected as graduate employees to exceed grade level 14 against the current practice.”

The group also condemn alleged illegal attempts by the Management to tamper with or vitiate the Conditions of Service recently reviewed and endorsed by parties.  NEC therefore enjoins Management to work with the Unions for its speedy approval.