New Telegraph

Yadudu: FAAN, workers’ face-off over

 

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu, has assured that all the problems bedeviling the agency occasioned by COVID-19 outbreak that seriously dwindled its revenue will be resolved.
He explained that the delay in salary was caused by paucity of funds occasioned by the pandemic, but admitted that FAAN’s revenue is gradually improving.

 

He explained that the delay in salary was caused by paucity of funds occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, but admitted that FAAN revenue was gradually improving.
He made clarifications on the Chinese loans, pointing out that no former managing director of FAAN signed any pact to collect the Chinese loan abi initio, stating that the authority was not mandated to service the loan.

 

Yadudu gave the assurance at a town hall meeting he held with workers and various aviation unions, comprising representatives of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) at Ilorin Airport on Tuesday in Ilorin, Kwara State.
He noted that the statutory 13-month salary would be paid going by the commitment of FAAN.
Among other promises he made to the workers were plans to train and retrain them, which, he said, would start in January 2021.
He offered automatic employment to two casual workers that have spent 13 and 15 years respectively, disclosing that their employment letters would be ready next week with plan for them to resume in January 2021

He admitted acute shortage of manpower in some departments and promised that there would be equitable distribution of staff to curb the problem.

 

Yadudu stated that fresh employment would not solve the problem, but rather, staff deployment would be solution to redressing the situation.

 

The FAAN boss congratulated and appreciated staff for working assiduously during the lock-down and beyond.

 

He charged the workers to be vigilant and protect all FAAN facilities, encouraging them to report any unscrupulous element who may desire to sabotage their collective efforts.

 

He clarified that COVID-19 allowances was only for grade level 12 and below as directed by the Head of Service.

 

He, however, said management in collaboration with the unions could still make a case for grade level 13 and above to the HOS.

 

In his response, Chairman of ATSSSAN, FAAN, Ilorin Chapter, A.I Alonge, spoke on the controversial COVID-19 allowances, stressing that contrary to the general belief that only staff on grade level 12 and below are entitled to it, he said it ought to cut across all the staff in all the essential departments because they all worked assiduously during the lock-down.

 

He stated that workers were not comfortable with the delay of their salaries including 13th month salaries, just as he asked for prompt payment of all outstanding allowances owed workers.

 

Alonge tasked FAAN management to ensure that salaries were paid on or before 25th of every month just as he charged the agency to sustain employer/employees relationship which he believed is key to organisational productivity.

 

On the consequential adjustments in condition of service and national minimum wage, Chairman, ANAP, FAAN, Ilorin Chapter, S.U. Ugbeikwu, pointed out that FAAN staff on grade level 14 and below merely fed from the crumbs of management staff and drew the attention of Yadudu to it to ensure that all FAAN staff are treated equitably.

 

Ugbeikwu pleaded with the FAAN MD to ensure that N106b billion staff pension is remitted to PENCOM, stressing that FAAN workers were displeased over the situation.

 

He urged FAAN to distance itself from servicing of $500 million Chinese loan, maintaining that, abi initio, the loan was not collected by FAAN and should not be serviced by FAAN, more so, at a critical time like this when it is generally believed that FAAN is bankrupt.

 

 

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