By DANIEL ETEGHE

The Aviation union under the auspices of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), on Monday, kicked against plans by foreign airlines to sack about two thousand (2,000) workers in the aviation industry in a bid to cut cost.

In a letter addressed to the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika and made available to newsmen, Acting General Secretary of NUATE, Comrade Olayinka Abioye stressed that the plan was posing a great threat to the affected workers, adding that the Federal Government should wade in and prevent the huge job loss.

Comrade Abioye said that information had filtered into the aviation industry of the massive reduction in the numbers of its employees to the tune of about 2,000 workers. “The reason being adduced for this danger is that their earnings in the past year is under lock with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), as they are unable to transfer these earnings to their respective home countries to meet operational costs in accordance with international rules.”
“Following concerns raised recently by leaders of these workers and other stakeholders and in appreciation of the good intent of the government’s fiscal policy, we humbly make this clarion call for your intervention to grant foreign airlines concession to repatriate their proceeds to their home countries,” he said.

Comrade Abioye pointed out that should the foreign airlines go ahead with the sacking of the workers in the aviation industry, it would not be in the interest of the aviation sector and Nigeria as a whole. “We hasten to place on the front burner an emerging threat confronting over 2, 000 private sector aviation workers in Nigeria which requires your intervention to forestall imminent loss of jobs of these number of workers,” said Abioye.

Activa:
It's not really the fault of the foreign airlines.

You may want to blame Buhari/CBN economic policy for this but this is a very very big opportunity for Nigerian airlines.

EldaTimba:
If only our eyes can see that only God can save, revive our economy. I hope pastor Osinbajo is performing his duty as the priest of the Nation.
In all, may God meet those who've been sacked, those who would be sacked, and the unemployed at every point of their needs in this period surplus.

luvinhubby:
So the airlines should retain their workers amidst dwindling revenue caused by Buhari's clueless economic policies?

I sympathise with the affected workers but the airlines are not to be blamed.

freeze001:


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/03/union-kicks-plans-foreign-airlines-sack-2000-workers/

freeze001:


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/03/union-kicks-plans-foreign-airlines-sack-2000-workers/

saturnjay:


The dwindling revenue is caused by the oil price crash, it has nothing to do with Buhari policies, his policies was to tighten and prevent capital loss upon the dwindling revenue caused by oil crash, Russia and Saudi Arabia are feeling the heat more than us, Saudis lost over $300 Billion because of the oil crash, so save your insult for Buhari

onoja12:
Rubbish,any airline that sacks its Nigerian workers,we should ban that airline from flying into Nigeria simple.as for the policy of packing all our dollar out in the name of airline.that must stop.if you make the money here then you must spend that larger percentage here simple.

luvinhubby:
So the airlines should retain their workers amidst dwindling revenue caused by Buhari's clueless economic policies?

I sympathise with the affected workers but the airlines are not to be blamed.

freeze001:


Shuo! Am I the airline that is sacking workers? See as u quote me dey vex...lol.

I understand though, the major problem is that we have never protected the rights of workers as regards employment by foreign agencies. That is why after all said and done, a few dollars or thousands of naira exchanged will settle the issue always to the detriment of the Nigerian workers.

These foreign investors always come with the bottom line of making profit by all means. Once you have a government like ours as has always been the case where regulatory policies are not firm and easily twisted in favour of the investor, you have things like this and they mostly get away with no sanctions at all. Our Labour laws leave a lot to be desired unfortunately and enforcement of what we have on ground is practically nil.