Arik boss writes labour minister over strike threat

Joseph Olaoluwa

The Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air, Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, has written a letter to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige seeking his intervention in a mass action by the aviation unions scheduled for Monday.

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika and the Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Musa Nuhu.

Two aggrieved unions, the National Union of Air Transport Employees and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, had vowed to withdraw their services on Monday (today).

The letter which was titled ‘Re-unions in Arik Air threaten to down tools September 14’, and dated September 11, 2020 said the continued use of threat without exhausting various channels like engagement, consensus, and understanding was unfair.

It added that the matters in dispute only affected less than 20 members of its over 1600 workforce.

Part of the statement read, “We strongly believe that the threat of strike action without an exhaustive use of the various channels of engagement, discussion, consensus and understanding is faulty and unlikely to yield the best outcomes for staff, the company and its faithful passengers.

“It is in fact an abuse of the position of union leadership as the issues in dispute cannot pass the test of fairness and only affect, in the short term, less than 20 staff out of a workforce of over 1600.”

While he restated his commitment to staff welfare, he also enjoined Sirika and Nuhu to intervene in the matter.

He also promised that the management would continue to provide a safe working environment to the staff.

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