THE National Union of Air Transportation Employees (NUATE), has raised the alarm over the tight situation the different aviation agencies are operating, warning that if not urgently tackled, may spell doom for the sector.
The warning is coming based on the continuous deduction of 50 percent from the Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs) of the agencies by the Federal Government.
Moreover, the union has called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to review its closure of the NAHCO junction gate of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, with a view to using it as an exit gate.
In a communique jointly signed and issued by the President and General Secretary of NUATE, Comrades Ben Nnabue and Ocheme Aba, respectively, at the end of its 2024 Post May Day Conference, held in Owerri, Imo State, the union cautioned that the forceful contributions of the agencies to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) was badly impacting on their activities.
The union raised the alarm over how the federal government policy of deducting 50 percent from the IGR of the agencies has been hindering them from performing their safety critical roles and pay staff remunerations with only half of their incomes.
The union, while describing the agencies as non-profit-making, but cost-recovery organisations, queried why the agencies will be included in the deductions.
NUATE in the communique declared: “To collaborate with other industry trade unions to make a strong case for the exemption for aviation agencies from the 50 per cent deduction at source from the internally generated revenue of the agencies.
“The conference reasoned that based on facts available, the agencies’ collapse is imminent unless the exemption is made. This is because, not being profit making, but cost-recovery agencies, they are unable to carry out their safety critical roles and pay staff remunerations with only half of their incomes.
“The National Administrative Council (NAC), in session in the course of the conference, ordered a number of actions, including media engagements and peaceful demonstrations at all airports, to draw the attention of the Federal Government to this foisted imminent catastrophe.”
Speaking on the closed NAHCO gate, NUATE maintained that the reopening of the facility will help in easing the pains of customers, clients, workers of ground handling and allied businesses presently experiencing hardships caused by the reconfiguration of the international airport road.
NUATE called on FAAN to facilitate synergy among its aviation security personnel and the private aviation security providers, as well as with other airport workers, on the grounds that it will among others, reduce frictions among the security personnel in the industry, curtail bullying and other vices.
“To urge all employers of labour in the industry to act with dispatch and compassion to assure the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage Act, and thereby cushion the ravaging hunger among the aviation community, as in the rest of the society.
“The conference calls on all aviation employers to prioritise the training and retraining of employees as the bedrock of professionalism, and in order to provide assurance of continued safety and security of aviation services”, the union added.
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