Labour unions in the aviation industry have threatened to ground flight operations all over the country to draw government’s attention to the plight of ex-workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) who have been denied their entitlements after the liquidation of the airline despite the approval of N45 billion by the federal government, reports Thisday.
The unions — National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) — said that they would not wait until the entire workers of the former national carrier die before taking steps to ensure that they were paid their benefits.
The unions expressed disappointment that many months after the approval for their payment, the government has not taken any step to pay the former workers of the national airline whose invaluable contribution to the development of the aviation industry could not be overstated.
They noted that the failure of the federal government to pay the N45 billion final severance packages to the almost 6,000 workers of the defunct national carrier would force the workers to down tools in the next two weeks and jolt the aviation industry, which has enjoyed stability in the last few years.
The industry unions expressed their anger on the alleged insensitivity of the Ministry of Finance to pay the workers over 10 months after the approval of the sum by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
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