By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The management of Aero Contractors has disengaged around 900 of its about 1,500 workers on its payroll as at September 2016.
A statement by the company’s spokesman, Mr Simon Tumba, disclosed that the airline had been grappling with huge and unrealistic personnel cost as well as other operational challenges, worsened by lack of enough aircraft to keep all the workers meaningfully engaged.
The total number of workers sacked by Aero Contractors represents about 60 percent of its workforce.
It was gathered that letters of redundancy were issued to the affected employees during the week.
The airline, which was taken over by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in 2013, said the decision to disengage the employees was to save the airline from dying.
Mr Tumba said in the statement issued on Thursday in Lagos that the affected workers would be paid their pension and gratuity.
“The issuance of notification of redundancy is a business decision that will ensure Aero’s survival.
“The current situation where over a thousand people are basically not engaged due to lack of serviceable aircraft is not sustainable for the airline.
“The huge monthly salary associated with a bloated workforce will eventually kill the airline, which is not the intention of the current government,” the statement explained.
“This decision will immediately reduce the whopping operational cost, which has been stifling Aero, enable the management bring in more aircraft through savings from overheads and pay for C-checks.
“It will also enable Aero have a more manageable and committed workforce in line with international best practices of 50 to 60 personnel to one aircraft unlike what obtains in Aero at the moment,” Mr Tumba said further.
However, the Chief Executive Officer of Aero, Capt. Ado Sanusi, was quoted in the statement as assuring the workers that they stand a chance of being recalled as soon as the airline increases the number of aircraft in its fleet in the near future.
But the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) have expressed their views on the development.
“We are totally against it because in the first place, our members are still being owed salaries and we have not even negotiated the redundancy package.
“If they go ahead with this move then the unions are prepared to face them headlong,” General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Mr Frances Akinjole, told journalists.
Aduragbemi Omiyale