Aviation Unions Tackle Arik Air, Rejects 80% April Salary, No Salaries As From May

By Adesina Soyooye

As if the trouble caused by the devastating effect of COVID-19 which suspended Airline operations was not enough, more troubles are in the offing for Arik Air, Nigeria’s Airline with the most modern Aircraft.

All Aviation Unions in Nigeria are set to do battle with it.

Trouble started a few days ago, when the management of the airline, in a letter to members of staff, told them that because of the situation in the country, caused by COVID-19, they would only receive 20%, each, in salaries, for the month of April.

From the month of May, the Management said, 90% of the staff would go on leave without pay, until things improve.

But Aviation Unions, made up of the National Union of Air Transport Employees,(NAUTE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Union of Aircraft Pilots and Engineering  (NAAPE), have rejected Arik’s letter to staff in its entirety.

In a letter to the M.D./CEO of the Airline, through its Human Resources Manager, the Unions berated Arik Air for treating staff as beggars.

While they appreciated the situation on ground as it affects the Airline, especially, as it is in Receivership, the Unions said that any percentage of salaries paid now, should be regarded as part payment, which would be paid in full later. They also rejected the forced leave without pay.

Following, the letter, signed on behalf of the Unions by Frances Akinjoke, Oniha Erazua, Ochere Aba, and copied to various Unions

RE: COVID-19: MATTERS ARISING FOR ARIK AIR LIMITED (IN RECEIVERSHIP)

We write to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the above title, dated 23rd of April 2020, and we strongly express our Unions’ displeasure at what Management decided to  throw at our members.

Is it not high time we started developing a second thought on this idea of seeing the staff as beggars that have no choice! If the company could see the need to engage other creditors to discourse terms upon which obligations could be tinkered with bin order to mitigate the biting effects of this COVID-19 pandemic, we do not see why same treatment could not be applied to the workers’ interests.

Being stakeholders in the aviation industry, our Unions are equally disturbed about the hyper-negative impact of the raging pandemic on our sector generally. This was why our unions made a passionate appeal through a joint letter to the Honourable Minister of Aviation for the Federal Government of Nigeria’s robust intervention in the sector. Is it not contradictory that it is our members and their families that would now be made to solely bear the hunger of COVID-19 pandemic before respite eventually comes to the industry!

With due respect Sir, the offer of a 20% salary for the month of April 2020 and no salary at all from the month of May 2020 is totally unacceptable to our members as final monthly pay, and our Unions consider the offers, the way and manner by which they were thrown at us and the advice that staff should manage that 20% prudently while the lockdown lasts as an insult.

In view of the foregoing, we, therefore, wish to state that whatever amount paid as salary to any of our members now will be considered as part payment of monthly emolument, pending agreement borne out of a negotiation.

Please be assured of our readiness to positively engage with you towards amicable settlement, even as we await your invite to that effect.

While we continue to pray and collectively exerting practical efforts towards seeing an end to the COVID-19 disruptions, please be assured of our highest regards”

At the time of writing this, the Management of Arik Air has not reacted to the letter. It is not known, therefore, if it will engage the Unions in a dialogue or not.

Arik Air a private Airline, founded by Chief  Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, is being managed by AMCON, which took it over to avoid a total collapse of the Airline, and avoid job losses due to very bad debts.