Sack Of 37 NCAT Teachers: Aviation Unions Petition FG

Unions in the Nigerian aviation industry have petitioned the Federal Government over the sack of 37 teachers from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria by the management of the school, abelnewsng reports.

The petition was jointly written  and by General Secretaries of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE)  and  the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE).

The petition dated March 19, 2018 was signed by Comrades Frances Akinjole for ATSSSAN, Olayinka Abioye signed for NUATE and Ocheme Aba for NAAPE.

The argued that the school’s management was ill-advised allegedly by some people in the system, urged the college to always follow due process in disengaging any of their staff.

The unions also copied the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige,  Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Executive Chairman, Salaries, Income and Wages.

The unions alleged in the petition insisted that “some mischievous third force at NCAT” were bent on misadvising the management in order to dislocate the prevailing industrial harmony at NCAT, wondering why the management was reluctant in implementing the judgement of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, which reversed the sack of teachers in staff schools across the country.

The unions explained that the management of the college immediately implemented the policy of the government, which withdrew it from the funding of staff schools, but wondered why it was slow in implementing a court judgement, which reversed the government’s policy.

They stated that other staff schools across the country had  implemented the judgement of the industrial court by recalling their sacked teachers in staff schools, but only NCAT was yet to implement such.

The unions confirmed that 13 out of the 37 affected staff of the college’s school had approached the court to ensure their re-instatement, but noted that they took the court option when the management intentionally frustrated their re-instatement.

“Did we not agree in September 2017 at the Ministry of Transportation in Abuja to constitute a joint committee of NCAT-union-ministry of transport-ministry of labour-head of service-salaries and wages to discuss and finally resolve the staff school teachers issues even before the release of this ‘knotty’ circular? While we had since submitted the names of our nominees for the proposed committee, we do not understand the motive for cherry-picking in resolving the staff school teachers’ predicament. In view of the position of the college not to address the issues as raised by our unions until the determination of the said case, would it not be right to conclude that NCAT management and NCAT Consultant willfully and deliberately frustrated some of the teachers to see court as an option? The petition queried.

The unions further advised the management of the college to save the nation from avoidable financial embarrassment that may result from litigation costs and possibly damages.