Pilots’ union gives Azman 7 days to reverse sack of colleagues

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), has written to the management of Azman Airlines, giving it seven days to reverse the sack of six pilots recently relieved of their appointment or face industrial action.

The association also wrote the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), asking the apex regulatory authority to intervene.

It stated that the sack of the six pilots and four other critical members of staff of the airline did not follow the due process as stipulated in the labour law.

Daily Trust reports that the airline had over the weekend sacked the staff.

Though the airline said the sack was due to the reduction of flights occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the staffers insist they were sacked for complaining about salary delay and pay cut.

Managing Director of the airline, Alhaji Faisal Abdulmunaf said the sack was inevitable.

“Aviation sector is terribly affected globally by Covid-19, there is need to downsize and rightsize for airlines to survive, as we battle with the second wave of the pandemic. The decision was not easy but necessary to navigate through the current global economic challenges. We do hope and pray that the impact does not last longer than anticipated, so that we can have all our planes and pilots flying again.”

But NAAPE President, Galadima Abdenego in a chat with Daily Trust last night insisted that the sack “ran afoul of the law.”

He however disclosed that the Association would be meeting with the Chairman of the Airline, Yunusa Abdulmunaf over the sack, saying however that the airline must reverse the decision.

According to him, if the services of the pilots are no longer needed the right to be done is to declare redundancy in line with the provisions of the labour law.