From Suleiman Amagbor, Lagos
Following the grounding of the flight operations of Dana Air last month by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) after one of its aircraft skidded off the runway at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammad Airport in Lagos, the airline workers, on Saturday, reacted sharply to their disengagement by the airline.
The workers are demanding for some pay from the management before they would accede to its instructions, our correspondent gathered in Lagos.
Those who spoke to Citizenship Daily are demanding compensation to enable them to cater for their families, one worker told our reporter in Lagos.
According to him, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Dana Air, Jacky Hathiramani gathered the staff on Friday to inform them of the decision to send them home.
Another lamented saying “some of the staff broke down in tears upon receiving the news. Majority of us don’t have anything to fall back on as I speak to you. For years the company deducted our pension funds but never remit to the administrator.”
Our correspondent gathered that the staff have engaged the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), two leading labour union groups in the country’s aviation industry to prevail on the airline’s management to provide compensation to their members who are staff of airline.
Dana Air confirmed the development via an update on its ongoing operational audit initiated by the regulatory authorities.
The audit, which is currently underway, it said is a collaborative effort between Dana Air and the authorities to ensure compliance with all necessary standards and regulations.
In an electronic statement by Kingsley Ezenwa, its Head of Corporate Communications, “Dana Air reaffirms its commitment to full cooperation with the authorities to facilitate a smooth and expedited resolution of the audit process.”
The document noted that “In light of the ongoing audit, Dana Air has made the decision to temporarily disengage some staff members pending the conclusion of the audit. This decision has been made to ensure efficient management of resources and to facilitate a thorough review of operational procedures.
The Management of Dana Air extends its sincere appreciation to all staff members for their resilience and dedication during this period of uncertainty. It recognizes the difficulties that staff have had to endure and assures them that every effort is being made to resolve the situation promptly.”
“Dana Air remains committed to providing updates and support to its staff throughout this process and While these challenges are being addressed, Dana Air has commenced talks with lessors and are currently engaging stakeholders on the progress made so far.
“Dana Air therefore urges for calm and understanding from our very dedicated staff for their altruism and stakeholders. The Management is working diligently to address any concerns and is preparing a restart plan that will ensure the safe and efficient resumption of operations.
“Dana Air is confident that with the continued support of its staff and stakeholders, it will overcome these challenges and emerge stronger than ever.” the airline stated.
