Workers Ground Caverton Helicopters Operations

Operations of Caverton Helicopters at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, was grounded on Thursday, November 23, by aviation unions  over alleged sack of 150 workers.

The unions which included the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Air Transport Employees, accused the carrier of anti-labour practices.

The members of both unions, chanting various solidarity songs, stopped workers and clients of the airline from entering its premises for several hours.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Casualisation/Outsourcing is Evil, Workers Say No”, “No Alternative to Condition of Service, No to Impunity in Caverton” and “Workers’ Rights Must be Protected.”

General Secretary, NUATE, Mr. Olayinka Abioye, who addressed the protesters, said the unions decided to shut down the airline’s operations in Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt to protect the rights of workers.
Abioye flayed the decision of Caverton’s management to declare 150 workers redundant in view of the current economic situation in the country.

He said that the affected workers were paid only a month salary in lieu of notice despite some of them having spent up to 13 years in the airline’s service.

He further alleged that some of the workers were outsourced to another company, Bluebay, and their salaries were slashed without any negotiation with labour.

Meanwhile, Caverton had in a letter addressed to the NUATE claimed that the sacking of the workers was based on the review of its operational exigency and economic climate in the country.

The letter dated Oct.28 and signed by the airline’s Industrial Relation Manager, Mr. Segun Alebiosu, said the move was in accordance with Section 20 of the Nigeria Labour Act.

It said the affected workers were offered accrued salary up to the effective date, one month salary in lieu of notice and contributory pension up to the last full month.