Aviation industry regulatory authority, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, is to conduct fresh safety and security audits on Aerocontractors Airlines, following a labour crisis that has left the airline grounded for about two weeks, the Acting Director-General, Mr. Joyce Nwakalemo, has said.
The audits, he said, would include a thorough assessment of the airline’s aircraft, crew, operational procedures and systems as well as the entire workforce of over 1,300.
He said, “Aero has to go through recertification, meaning, its entire system will have to be checked again. The reason is that the airline has been on ground for some time and, as such, they need to be recertified.”
Angry Aero workers had on March 13 staged a protest, expressing their grievances over alleged plans by the management to outsource their employment status to another company without their consent.
The protest, which forced Aero management to ground its entire flight operations a day later, had left the 53-year old domestic carrier on ground since then.
Although the workers had come to resume to work a day after the protest, the management of the airline locked out over 500 workers, giving access to only about 400 workers.
The airline has about 900 workers in Lagos, while its out-stations consist of about 400 employees.
The management was said to have dismissed over 600 workers, who participated in the March 13 protest, for allegedly disobeying a court injunction restraining them from proceeding on strike.
In a statement, however, NCAA said it had intervened in the crisis with a view to resolving it.
Nkemakolam assured aviation union leaders that the agency would not allow any group of people or corporate organisation to jeopardise the safety record of the authority..
He charged the union leaders to continue with the maturity they had exhibited in the course of the industrial dispute and to ensure that no anti – safety action was taken until all matters were resolved.
Author:Oyetunji Abioye
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