National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has handed a seven day notice to the management of Caverton Helicopters to effect corrections of the unilateral and loop-sided pay-cut decision it took on the workers’ salaries or face a shutdown of operations in Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt.
The union claimed to have had several talks with the company over issues of alleged irrational slash of salaries, injustice to workers and disregard for the nation’s labour laws.
In a letter to the Managing Director of the company dated March 30, and signed by an acting General Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Abioye, the union said, this letter would served as the final notice, ”there shall be no more negotiation before the industrial action,” he added.
The letter titled ‘Final Notice of Industrial Action against Caverton Helicopters,’ read – “Notice is hereby given to the general public and the esteemed clients of Caverton Helicopters that due to persistent anti-labour practices, by management of (the said) Caverton helicopters, the unions have resolved to shut down its operations in Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt within the next seven days if salaries of our members are not reinstated.
“There shall be no more discussions on the fundamental issues as the unions have exhibited high sense of responsibility and maturity in getting the matter resolved but to no avail. This message serves as a final notice of industrial action. All Caverton Helicopters workers to note and be fully prepared.”
It was gathered that things have coiled downward since September, 2015 when management unilaterally cut staff salaries without recourse to meet the workers or the unions.
A NUATE source said, “When this happened the unions met with the management and they sold the unions a dummy stating that the cut in salaries was as a result of the prevailing oil crisis but when the union looked further it found that the cut in salaries was not holistic, and was done putting sentimental interest in the fore.
According to another union member, some staff, that has god-father among the management, had their salary increased while the majority had theirs’ cut-down substantially as management blamed the economic down-turn for the decision.
“In fact, when the management heard that due to their actions, there might be an upheaval, they quickly rushed in and started doing selective gratification by paying the sons of the soils, or what you can call the workers from the host communities, leaving out those that did not come from there.” he added.
