NAN
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has assured workers who might be affected by the impending sack at the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCo) Plc of the payment of their entitlements.
The General Secretary of NUATE, Mr Olayinka Abioye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday that the union would ensure that the workers were paid their benefits and entitlements before the disengagement.
NAN reports that the NAHCo management has announced plans to disengage some of its workers over poor health conditions and also to “optimise” the firm’s operations.
“The workers must be compensated in such a way that when the company ask them to leave, the disengaged workers will be happy and they will not have to suffer,” he said.
He said NAHCo had embarked on job optimisation due to the complaints that there were manpower shortages in certain units and departments.
Abioye said: “In the process of doing this, it was actually discovered that there were some areas where they are short-staffed and there are some areas where they have excess manpower.
“So, they are trying to embark on an equitable redistribution of personnel.
“In the course of this exercise, however, they now found out that there are some other staff members who have health-related issues and that is what we are trying to discuss with the management as we move forward.”
According to Abioye, the management has held a meeting with NUATE and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) over job optimisation.
He said the two unions had given them certain requirements they must meet before the disengagement.
The NUATE scribe said the union had insisted that the process must be in compliance with the extant labour laws which the company had promised to look into.
“It is only when the company has concluded its own exercise that the union will know the number of workers who will be affected.
