(http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Nigerian-Airspace-Management-Agency-NAMA.jpg) (http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Nigerian-Airspace-Management-Agency-NAMA.jpg)No, you can't, says NAMA
From Suleiman Idris, Lagos
Despite having reached an agreement last Friday to continue talks today with the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), workers' unions insisted yesterday that there is no going back on the planned protest slated for today to press home their demand for the implementation of the approved salary scale endorsed by the National Salary and Wages Commission.
However, NAMA said Nigeria airspace will remain open to traffic, despite the unwarranted threat by the trade "union leaders who have vowed in their cocoons to endanger safety and security within the nation's airspace".
A joint statement signed by Olayinka Abioye, Abdulkareem Motajo and Aba Ocheme, yesterday at the end of an emergency meeting of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineer (NAAPE) said the public should discountenance the earlier statement from the General Manager, Public Affairs of NAMA, Mr. Supo Atobatele.
The meeting convened by the management of NAMA last Friday they said did not address the issue on ground to the satisfaction of the union's agitations.
Also the NAMA management last night assured all the foreign airlines that the nation's airspace would be open to traffic and urged them to continue to file in their normal flight plan without exercising any fear.
The Managing Director, Nnamdi Udoh, while reacting to the threat from the unions said he was surprised the representatives of the workers at the Friday meeting could suddenly have changed their mind to continue deliberation on the matter this morning and opted for strike.
He maintained that shortly after receiving approval from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, the agency immediately embarked on the process of implementation by setting up an advisory committee which was all inclusive, comprising management staff, accounts staff and representatives from the trade unions.
"Based on the report of the advisory committee, the management commenced since February, 2013 the full payment of the new consolidated salary structure as approved and promised to pay 13 months arrears thereafter," he said in a statement.
He said that there was a letter of commendation from the unions to that effect even though they asked the management to look into some grey areas of the approved salary structure which informed the agitation for further increase outside the approved salary by the wages commission.
Again, a statement by Mr. Atobatele read in part, "it may interest the public that an average top official of the agency earns additional N100, 000 to his or her salary following the implementation of the new salary structure and the condition of service which makes it far above the approved structure from the wages commission."
"Despite this obvious improvement on the welfare package of staff, the unions pressed for three things: between 5-10 per cent increase in the basic salary, lump sum payment of leave bonus and commencement in the payment of arrears.
"We confirm again that last Friday's meeting was conducted in a friendly atmosphere during which the meeting was further adjourned till today (Monday)
"In view of the above and considering the meeting held on Friday in Lagos, which was adjourned till this morning, one could see that there is no need for this threat and confrontational posture from the trade unions, except for other ulterior motives best known to the sponsors of this so called strike as there is no declaration of trade dispute where the federal ministry of labour would have intervened", he said.
Part of the statement from the unions said that, "for the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that the ultimatum issued against NAMA shall expire 0000 hrs May 19th, 2013 and appropriate actions shall commence thereafter.
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