₦airaland Forum

Dear All,

The above subject matter refers.

We would like to use your esteemed medium to call the attention of all well meaning Nigerians and indeed the relevant authorities to a sad trend that has become commonplace within the Nigerian workforce as regards foreign business operators in the country and the poor treatment of its local content.
The case in view is the recent manner in which the Lagos based cabin crew of Virgin Atlantic have had their jobs terminated effective 30th of November via a letter dated on the 3rd of November without any prior hint or consultation and I dare say for no reasonable cause. A meeting was called by the management of Aviation Logistics Management Limited( ALML) and a Virgin Atlantic representative Alasdair Boyle( International Crew Manager) on the 3rd of November 2015 where the decision was conveyed to the crew in attendance and a letter of termination handed down thereby foreclosing any option of dialogue,negotiations or consultations in the matter.

We would not like to bore you with what our sentiments as regards this for now. We however would crave your indulgence and patience in reading the communique below excerpted from Virgin Atlantic so you can make an informed decision on the TRUE nature of the motive driving this decision.
Please kindly note all the palliative measures and considerations offered to their UK counterparts and draw your conclusions. Also worthy of note is the fact that whilst the Lagos – London route remains one of Virgin Atlantic’s most profitable and they are happy to continue the business they are however making the Lagos based Crew the fall guys in order to keep their UK counterpart content. Some of these crew(Lagos based) have been with the airline from inception since 2001.
We will be putting forward a rejoinder to this mail. In the meantime digest the following.
UPDATE FROM JILL BRADY (VIRGIN ATLANTIC)

As you know, we have been looking at our crew ranks, crew complement and onboard services as we consider how to improve outcomes for our customers whilst creating a financially resilient company that can achieve sustainable growth for the future. I appreciate that it has been a difficult time for all of you as we work through this and I thank you all for your continued patience and professionalism. Whilst trial flights continue throughout November and no decision has yet been made regarding crew complement, I can now share with you the outcomes of our review on ranks and our international crew bases.
As there’s a lot of information to share I have broken this down into segments. Those who are directly affected by this announcement have already received individual communications.

UK crew changes

Senior Cabin Crew role
When reviewing our structure and cost base, it became apparent that we have more crew ranks than many other airlines. Having four distinct ranks, rather than three or less, was an example of where we have additional layers and complexity within our organisation

After very careful consideration, we have decided to simplify our rank structure by having one rank of cabin crew that will work across all cabins and, as a result, from 31 March 2016 we will no longer have a Senior Cabin Crew (SCC) role.

To mitigate against job losses there will be several options made available to all UK based SCCs. These include an alternative Cabin Crew role, voluntary redundancy and part-time options. I have written to all of our SCCs separately to inform them of this decision and the options available to them.

Cabin Service Supervisor role

We have decided that from 31 March 2016 on all B787 and A330 aircraft operating with one CSS, that this position will be manned by a UK based CSS. Whilst this means that there will be no required job losses in the UK CSS rank, there will unfortunately be an impact on our internationally based CSSs, who are being communicated with separately to inform them of this decision.

Further mitigation of UK job losses
To further mitigate against job losses in our SCC rank, we are offering all UK based Flight Service Managers (FSMs) and CSSs the opportunity to take voluntary redundancy.

To make this operationally more manageable we will be offering people the choice to leave the business on one of two staggered dates; one in April 2016 and the other in October 2016.

We are clearly going through an unprecedented level of change and I am conscious that our new rank structures may not please everyone. This voluntary redundancy opportunity will allow all onboard managers to make the right decision for them.

International changes

We have also been conducting a full review of our international crew ranks in Lagos, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Delhi.

Having four international bases, all with locally based cabin crew, was another example of additional layers, complexity and cost within our organisation. We are therefore making the following changes to restructure our international bases.

Lagos based crew
The primary purpose of having Lagos based cabin crew has been to provide cultural expertise. However, recent customer research has shown that this is no longer a requirement on the Lagos route. As a result and to reduce complexity in our operation we have decided that from 30 November 2015, we will be closing our Lagos crew base.

Our Lagos based crew have been met with and written to separately to inform them of this decision.

International crew roles
Having carefully reviewed our customer service offering, we have decided that from 31 March 2016 we will be reducing the complement of international cabin crew on flights to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Delhi to two crew members.

This decision, alongside the removal of the SCC rank, smaller B787 and A330 aircraft now making up the majority of our fleet and our decision to operate these aircraft using a UK based CSS, means that there will no longer be a business requirement for CSSs and SCCs in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Delhi from 31 March 2016.

All affected international crew members have been communicated with separately to inform them of this decision. Whilst these changes to our international bases are an important step to drive simplicity and improve our operational costs, they have not been easy decisions. Those affected in our international bases have been dedicated and respected members of our team and I know that many of you will be upset that friends and colleagues will no longer be working with us. I want to assure you that we will ensure that they are supported through this difficult time.

We do recognise that our customers still require language expertise on our Shanghai, Delhi and Hong Kong routes and so internationally based crews in the Cabin Crew rank will therefore remain unaffected.

I appreciate that this will be a difficult time for all affected UK and International crews and I would ask that you give them your full support and understanding over the coming weeks. I also recognise that there is a lot of information to absorb and I am sorry that many of you will receive this news whilst you are away from home or preparing for duty. I know this is difficult news and that some of you will now be considering the options available to you. Please make sure you speak to your Cabin Crew Managers and read the relevant sections of the intranet to get all of the information you need to make the right decision for you.

Finally, your dedication to our customers throughout this time has remained steadfast and I want to finish by assuring you that it is recognised and appreciated.

Best regards

Jill Brady
Executive Vice President – Customer

Footnote :

Inferring from the above, even within the context of internationally based crew comprising Lagos, Delhi, Hong Kong and Shanghai, only the Lagos crew have no option of keeping their jobs within the regular cabin crew rank. Whilst other international crew have till March 2016( 4 months from now) for the redundancy to be effective their Lagos counterpart have been given less than a month to stop work (30th of November 2015).

Delhi has been considered by Jill Brady to have a language barrier necessitating the continued use of local content crew from India however minimal but Lagos which has the same common lingua- English as Delhi has not been deemed worthy of continued use of local crew.
While Jill Brady was conscious to mitigate against job losses to the UK based crew she however did not consider their Lagos counterpart worthy of such consideration.They have been used while they were needed and unceremoniously dumped to save cost to the business and protect Job cuts to the UK crew even though Lagos as a route is one of the reasons Virgin Atlantic as a company can still make profit. Simply put, without the Lagos route Virgin Atlantic will be in the red.

cc lalasticlala

MTN should pay. They're a fraudulent company.

U1:
I fear o.



Granted I cannot get that rate in any bank in Nigeria. But I think the margin is rather too much.

That's the way it is bro. GT told me yesterday that they would charge me N360/Pound with my MasterCard.

U1:
Carried out a £10 transaction last Friday using UBA Naira MasterCard and was notified today that I was charged a total amount equal to N352 per pound! Meanwhile, the Google rate was around N306 on that day.

Google sha. You be learner ni? Google is more or less CBN rate, which you can never get anywhere.

frisby:
Please what bank is that?
I don't think ECOBANK does that

Every bank does it. Never heard of one that doesn't.

justi4jesu:
This should help https://www.nairaland.com/2496037/monitoring-foreign-exchange-rates-international

God bless you

Zenith was N228 to $1 yesterday, November 1

Hello justi4jesu

Pls do you by any chance know how much Nigeria banks are currently charging for ‎£1 when one uses Naira Mastercard online?

I need the info urgently. The banks never disclose it.

toluhere:
How do bank transfer work please?

It's only applicable to school fees, some medical operations abroad etc. It used to apply to airline tickets, but i don't know if it still does. The bank helps you to buy the forex at CBN auction provided you provide proof of what you need it for, such as univ. admission letter.

The only downside is that it can take several days/weeks for the transaction to go through.

debbydee:
ok.

Thanks

debbydee:
i use (paypal) zenith bank card i was charged 368

Woooh! That's outrageous, considering that the street price of the Pound was N345 yesterday [http://abokifx.com/]

I want to pay my sch fees. I think my best bet would be to use bank transfer then.

aboki2000:
Currently ....

Do you know how much Nigerian banks are currently charging for Pounds Sterling when you use your card online?

The article is on point. Anybody that takes Fani-Kayode seriously, needs to see a doctor.

It's a birth mark.

Sappyman:
Football money nor dey last. You have to start investing now. If it is a lie you can ask, Kanu, Okocha and Oruma. Ask them how market be today.

As usual, poor man advising a rich man how to manage money.

handsomeclouds:
Why would you join issues with him? The only ideology you guys shared was to displace GEJ and enrich your pockets...

Another GEJ supporter still pained by his loss. Even the man has forgotten that he lost election.

Don't worry about APC, they'll sort themselves out. Afterall, they're Nigerian politicians.

Shame on Ekiti-ites for leaving this giant and voting for that motor park tout (apologies to the fisherman).

Hi Bellong

Do you have any tips for buying from mobile.de?

Hi Siena. I sent you a BBM invite using the first PIN on your signature. Kindly add me. Or do you prefer Whatsapp? Tnx

You're very gullible if you believe that story.

FYI, it was concocted by the Wailing Wailers for use in m@sturbation.

That message is very strong. Big brother (Nigeria) is back.

femmy2010:
Good morning sir,
Do pardon the delayed response.
Kindly re-state the vehicles you need the quotes.
Rates aren't really down but agents are able to get a compromised valuation for vehicles to be cleared.


Call 08036363467 or send an email to info@dudzmobility.com for more information

It's for 2004 & 2005 BMW 3 Series.

Thanks

femmy2010:
Have it shipped RORO on Grimaldi or Sallaum line.
N550k,N600k and N650k would clear the 2003,2004 and 2005 models respectively.

Call 08181494897 or email duduconsultt@yahoo.com for more information

Hi Femi, does it mean that clearing has gone down to the old rates? You gave me the quote above sometime in 2014 but i'm seeing much lower quotes around now.

Can you help me update the clearing rates for the cars above?

Thanks in advance.

dannyville2:
Our brothers are repping..

I don't even know the part of Nigeria they are from. Can somebody help me please?

LOL. So ra e lenu.

Have they heard about cashless economy? The busnesses should get POS machines since everyone has a debit card.

Nothing like critical here, I expected to see him in ICU. He's only suffering from fear of prison.

Siena:
[color=Blue]Just a quick photoshop, courtesy of MetalMan, from another forum. My mind's pretty much made up to have the valve covers painted in Pelican blue, to match my car:[/color]

https://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx329/NaijaGuy/S8-Powered%20Audi%20A4%20Touring%20Car/image.jpg1_zpswhmbajk5.jpg

[color=Blue]What do you think guys - have the valve covers repainted in the standard grey / silver, or Pelican blue?[/color]

The pelican blue stands out. I vote for it.

Oga aboki2000

Please is it possible for Nigerians schooling abroad to get to pay their school fees at the official £££ rates from the bank?

If yes, how?

Thanks in advance

Shame on all Jonathan a-lickers if this is what you call a train.

Gradually, things are moving. God bless PMB.

This is crap, for too many reasons. Instead of trying to manufacture/remodel cars, Nigerians should start manufacturing ordinary toothpicks, safety matches and other ridiculous things we still import.

I had been planning to put this together for weeks but I've been quite busy.

Like a lot of Nigerians, I got tired of Dstv's arrogance & monopoly and decided to take things into my own hands.

I looked around for other satellite TV providers and decided to try Actv (pronounced Active). Unfortunately, I didn't see much about them online in terms of customer experiences, but decided to take the plunge anyway. So I called them and they linked me up with one of their distributors in Lagos who installed the dish and decoder for me. The equipment (plus 3 months premium subscription) came at a promo price of N9900.

All i can say is so far, so good. Some highlights though

-Their decoder is very portable, smaller in area than a DVD case. It also boots up in less than 30secs!
-The decoder has a HDMI port, actually has HD capability, and can also record via USB (update: it recorded, but my PC/TV can't play the recorded format).
-Picture quality depends on the channels on offer. Some are as clear as Dstv's HD channels while others are just like standard Dstv channels
-They don't have Premiership but they promised to acquire it in future (luckily for me, I don't watch much of football). They also show some other leagues via Fox Sports.
-They don't have CNN but have BBC, Aljazeera, France 24, Sky News, Channels TV which are ok for me
-They also have several science & documentary channels
-They have local betting prediction channels
-They have Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Pidgin, Mexican, Indian movies & soap channels.
-Other highlights are NatGeo Gold, BET, B4U Music & Movies, Zee World, MTV Base, Man-U TV, Fox Movies etc
-The bouquets are affordable N2000 - N5000
-The company is Nigerian-owned and I'm very passionate about local businesses.
-They've added about 7 MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Center) channels. They show nice movies, both old and new.


These are areas I think they could improve upon
-The remote control quality is rather poor and I believe they can do better
-A few of the channels are not in widescreen format, making the pictures look funny. This is probably beyond their control.
-They have several Christian channels but i didn't see any Muslim ones. Not that i care much about this, but if you're trying to compete in a market, you have to be able to cater for as many customers as possible. Update: There is Peace TV, an Islamic channel.

I'll try and add more comments as I use it.

You can ask me questions about the product and can also get more info about the company at http://www.actv.tv/

NB: Please note that I am not an agent of any company. This is just a free public service.