There are indications that Aero Contractors may not resume operations soon as it might not meet the minimum manpower condition set out by the Civil Aviation Act, following the recent mass sack of its workers.
THISDAY learnt that the airline would have to provide the minimum number of workers required for its operation before it is allowed to resume operations. Without meeting that condition, the regulatory body may not restore its operating licence.
The airline had started a re-evaluation exercise since last week but its attempt to resume flights was stopped by NCAA, which insisted that it must carry out the exercise as stipulated by regulations.
Also, there are fears that if it eventually gets the licence restored by NCAA, the court may stop it from commencing flights as it was alleged that the management abused the injunction it sought to bar workers from going on strike by sacking over 600 of them without recourse to dialoguing with the labour unions.
Meanwhile, the airline might have lost an estimated N1.2 billion since it stopped operations about two weeks ago.
Also, some the passengers who had obtained tickets but could not fly have taken the airline to court, demanding millions of naira as compensation.
The plan by the airline to outsource part of its manpower as a cost cutting measure sparked disagreement between it and its workers who insisted that the head of the airline’s human resources department must leave the job.
In reaction, the airline sacked more than 600 of the workers, including those manning the crucial technical areas of the airline.
Earlier in the week, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had called on the management of the airline to recall the sacked workers and accused it of ignoring all industrial relations mechanisms available in the sector to mediate between it and the workers but instead decided to terminal their appointments.
NLC threatened that the Nigerian workers would rise against the airline if its management did not rescind its decision and recall the workers.
The Assistant General Secretary, Airline Operators of Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur, said it was high time the government intervened in the labour crisis in Aero through the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu.
Author: Chinedu Eze
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