Aviation Unions have reacted to the sack of about 37 staff teachers from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, by the management,by petitioning the Federal Government.
The unions; National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) in a joint petition signed by their general secretaries insisted that the college’s management was ill-advised by some people in the system, is demanding that due process be followed when the management decides to discharge any of their members due to faults not of theirs.
The petition dated March 19, 2018 was signed by Comrades Frances Akinjole; ATSSSAN, Olayinka Abioye; NUATE and Ocheme Aba for NAAPE.
The unions also copied Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, Dr. Chris Ngige, the Minsiter of Labour and Employment , Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Executive Chairman, Salaries, Income and Wages.
The petition insisted that “some mischievous third force at NCAT” were bent on misadvising the management in order to dislocate the prevailing industrial harmony at NCAT, wondering why the management was reluctant in implementing the judgement of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, which reversed the sack of teachers in staff schools across the country.
The petitioners explained that the management of the college immediately implemented the policy of the government, which withdrew it from the funding of staff schools, but wondered why it was slow in implementing a court judgement, which reversed the government’s policy.
Other staff schools across the country have implemented the judgement of the industrial court by recalling their sacked teachers in staff schools, but only NCAT is yet to implement such.
The petitioners agreed that 13 out of the 37 affected staff of the college’s school had approached the court to ensure their re-instatement, but noted that they took the court option when the management intentionally frustrated their re-instatement by some elements in the college.
The unions further urged the college’s management to save the nation from avoidable financial embarrassment that may result from litigation costs and possibly damages.
