The National President of NAAPE, Comrade Abednego Galadima, Speaking during the picketing exercise in Lagos, stated that their members have completely withdrawn their services, including all affiliates of United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC).
Galadima said ULC affiliates in solidarity have also agreed to withdraw all services rendered by them to the Bristow Group including supply of aviation fuel.
Galadima disclosed that the shutting down of Bristow Group shall be indefinite until all the issues in contention are resolved.
He explained that:” In the Bristow Group, 18 national engineers who obtained their Diplomas and Licenses over four years ago have remained without Type Rating contrary to the subsisting Conditions of Service. Similarly, the fate 13 other engineers who obtained their Diplomas and Licenses over one year ago remains in limbo.
These engineers ought to, by now, be at the level of Engr. 3 if they had been properly designated as Trainee Engineers at entry in accordance with the CoS.
The management has, however, refused to designate and Type Rate these engineers appropriately just to disable them from growing their career.
This is a disingenuous way for the management to continue to hire expatriates under the guise of absence of local expertise.
“Also, the management continues to deny qualified national engineers promotion into senior positions while continually training expatriates to hold same positions in perpetuity.
In the same vein, 10 national pilots who obtained their flying licenses from Florida over four years ago also remain in limbo
The management has refused, up till now, to designate them as First Officers. If they did, pilots could have become Senior First Officers by now.
Similarly, most of the current SFOs have been due to take command as Captains for years, but the management again refused to promote them despite availability of vacancies. Instead, the management has applied for over fifty expatriate pilots to fill the same position which smacks of racism”.
Galadima said the workers were deceived around May last year, when the management brought in an AW139 helicopter for search and rescue operations with whole foreign crew and engineers, but later in September declared redundancy for national pilots and engineers claiming surplus to requirement.
NAAPE President explained that when the issue of the expatriate crew of the AW139 was raised, the management claimed they were not Bristow Nigeria Personnel only for the management to later release the AW139 and then transfer all expatriate pilots and engineers on the helicopter to Bristow payroll till date without going through any EQ regularisation as required by law.
He noted that the management recently fired the Training Manager, Capt. George Santos (a national) and replaced him with Capt. Matt Newman (an expatriate) just to satisfy the racist appetite of the company’s promoters in Houston because Capt. Santos had not been found wanting in any particular regard.
Galadima said the body is not oblivious of the fact that apart from Capt. George Santos, there were other Nigerian Training Captains in Bristow adequately certified by the NCAA and with requisite experience to occupy the position.
“We wonder, therefore, the basis by which Bristow obtained an expatriate quota to bring in Matt Newman. We would rather believe that Newman is in the country illegally.
By the records, the expatriate/national ratios in their bases are as follows:
Escravos – 20:1 for both pilots and engineers, NAF Base – 3:1 for pilots and 4:1 for engineers, Lagos – 3:1 for pilots and 7:1 for engineers, Eket – 2:1 for both pilots and engineers
This gross disequilibrium in favour of expatriates cannot by any stretch of imagination given any semblance of compliance with Nigeria’s expatriate policy document which requires that there shall be two Nigerian understudy for every expatriate position.
Therefore, the least position acceptable to the law is ratio 1:2 in favour of Nigerians.
It is also a requirement that there be a definite programme by which the understudy are to take over from the particular expatriate, with clear time line. There are no such programmes in Bristow.
“Importantly too, it is a requirement that vacant positions be advertised in Nigerian Newspapers. It is only when no qualified Nigerian comes forward that a justification can be arrived at requiring expatriate quota request for the position.
Bristow has not made any such advertisement as far as we can recall,” NAAPE President observed.
He pointed out that it is evidently clear that the Bristow Group has thrown Nigerian’s expatriate quota laws to the dogs and has done incalculable damage to the policy intention of Nigeria over the years.
NAAPE President declared the managing director of B.A.T.S, Nick Tufty Travers persona non grata.
Galadima emphasised that: “we have noted with serious displeasure the continued disheartening activities of the Managing Director of B.A.T.S, Nick Tufty Travers, which is to always destabilise the growth of national engineers as a means to facilitate the perpetuation of expatriates domination in the Bristow Group.
This will no longer be tolerated. Besides, he has truly over stayed his welcome, haven stayed in the country since 2005 far in excess of ceiling contained in EQ law.
Consequently we call on the Minister of Interior and Comptroller General of Immigration to commence the process of his deportation and to carry-out comprehensive expatriate audit in the Bristow Group”.
He observed that the management of Bristow Group has been unrelenting in violating both the spirit and letters of the Conditions of Service wittingly agreed to by them as they have kept pilots and engineers progression at bay and refusal to pay for forced work rotation which they kept in place for the whole year January to December of 2017.
He stated further that the company
declared redundancy but refused to offer any justification as required by labour law and Condition of Service, while bidding for time to render potential victims helpless
According to NAAPE president: “Bristow Group has commenced a policy of witch-hunting, intimidation and victimization of union members leading to arbitrary sacking of a pilot without recourse to the procedures established in the Conditions of Service. Created and forced engineers into a shift pattern that requires them work for in excess of what is agreed in the Conditions of Service.
Our union has tried its best to be calmed, composed and matured under this maze of malfeasance on the part of the management.
We have tried every form of engagement with the hope of securing an amicable settlement of these issues. But our forbearance has been taken for granted, and our patience has been repaid with scorn and mocking by the management”.
He added that having no further means to get amelioration, their union has no alternative than to embark on this industrial action.
Galadima insisted that the strike will remain in place until the management of Bristow Group justifies their extraordinary recruitment of expatriates, or streamlines the number of expatriates in its employ to be in alignment with Nigeria’s Expatriate Quota Laws, including the recall of the NAAPE member sacked arbitrarily with due apology, to immediately locate all pilots and engineers appropriately on the progression matrix established by the Conditions of Service.
Others include payment of arrears of all work done as per approved pays structures in the company as contained in the Conditions of Service, abrogating all shift systems that are contrary to the progressions of the Conditions of Service and for work done presently in excess of approved hours of work in the Conditions of Service and undertaken to abstain from current strong-arm tactics, impunity, intimidation, manipulation of facts, and general recklessness.
Meanwhile, in their reaction, the management of Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited
accused the leadership of NAAPE of making a number of inaccurate allegations against the company to support their action.
Bristow maintained in their statement. that, “NAAPE directed its members working at Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited to withdraw their services in support of an industrial action; an action which has since commenced without due notification to Bristow and in violation of the relevant labour laws”.
The company said it has acted (and will continue to act) in accordance with all national laws relating to its operations and with respect to its personnel.
“In addition, since its inception, Bristow continues to be the leading recruiter and trainer of national engineers and pilots in Nigeria, many of whom have since progressed to take up very senior executive positions within the Bristow Group and other companies operating within Nigeria and internationally.
We will continue with our resolute commitment to the promotion of Nigerian local content, capability and capacity within our industry, despite the very challenging economic climate,” Bristow said in the statement .
It explained that the issues raised by NAAPE have already been subject of ongoing discussions between NAAPE and Bristow; stressing that it is very disappointing that NAAPE has elected to take this premature action contrary to the ongoing dialogue and spirit of partnership that exists between the parties.
The company said it will continue to pursue the path of constructive engagement, in a way that is safe, sustainable and legally compliant.
