COVID-19: FAAN to pay staff half salary for May.

Workers’ unions in the aviation sector gave management 24 hours’ ultimatum to discuss pay decision.

The aviation sector of every country is currently suffering a huge setback in its activities due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and this has led to a standstill and a closure of all airports in the air travel sector of every country in the world. Several billions of naira that should be generated on a daily basis are no longer being generated as usual by air transport companies which have caused a bleak to the majority of these companies.

While, the coronavirus pandemic is still effective with yet a little hope in sight, as to when the aviation sector or any other sector of the country will be back to full service, some workers are beginning to express great unhappiness due to the decision of some agencies who are clamoring to pay half of their salary in this month of May, to its workers.

Details below:

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN has informed the agency staff that it will only be able to pay half salary for the month of May due to the paucity of funds. It however added that the balance of the salary will be paid as soon as the fund is available.

The aviation unions in FAAN, namely, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, ANAP gave the agency 24 hours’ ultimatum to invite the unions to discuss the decision to pay staff half salary.

According to FAAN, the decision to pay half salary is to ensure the survival of the agency as there had not been revenue collection due to the closure of airports nationwide and the suspension of flights. In a memo dated 19th of May, 2020, the FAAN management informed the staff of their decision to pay half Salaries for May and also assured that when revenue collection resumes and improves, the balance will be paid.

The memo with reference: FAAN/HQ/Admin/2020/05, thus read: “This is to notify all staff that due to the dwindling revenue generation amidst COVID19 pandemic, management may not be able to pay full salary to staff as from May, 2020.

“However, as soon as the revenue generation improves, the balance will be paid. This measure is to ensure the survival of the organization”.

For over 2 months, activities have been grounded at all the nation’s airports to prevent the spread of the virus through air travel. Other Aviation agencies like the; Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), may also adopt the decision of FAAN since they are all self-sustaining and derive their revenue from flight operations.

Meanwhile, Aviation unions in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, have given the management of FAAN, 24 hours to call for an urgent meeting with the unions to discuss the memo sent to staff on their inability to pay the full month salary for the month of May. Failure to do this, the unions say, “We cannot guarantee industrial harmony and the consequences which may arise shall be put onto your doorsteps.”

The unions in a letter addressed to the Managing Director, FAAN yesterday and signed by their Secretaries-General, Comrade Abdulrazak Saidu for ANAP and Comrade Frances Akinjole for ATSSSAN said the Unions are amazed and disturbed by the FAAN’s management unilateral decision despite the agreement with the unions that before any decision is taken, they will be carried along, the unions said: 

“if such affront could be willfully meted out to a component of the staff conditions of service, CoS, without the knowledge of the national unions which is a party to the agreement, it portends a possibility of waking up one day to find the CoS document clandestinely reviewed”.

The aviation agencies are not the only affected, airlines, ground handling companies and other ancillary providers in the aviation industry are also affected by the pandemic.

Some airlines had told their staff that without flight operations, there will be no salaries while others managed to pay half month Salaries in the month of April.

Well, we’ve all read the story and can tell the current situation in the country, should the staffs consider the management looking at the standstill caused by the coronavirus pandemic or should they stand their ground and refuse the pay cut? We are yet to know what the outcome will be.