Grounded Dana Air Faces Staff Protests Over Unpaid Wages and Pensions

Dana Air staff who were recently laid off this morning as early as 6am gathered at the company’s headquarters to protest the non-payment of their two months’ salaries and contributory pensions.

The staff, who were sacked after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) grounded the airline’s operations due to an incident involving one of its aircraft, are demanding immediate payment of their April, May, and pension contributions.

The former employees, who blocked the entrance of the company at Oshodi-Isolo expressway, claim that they received a “no service required” letter via WhatsApp without any further communication on how and when their salaries and benefits would be paid.

The ex-staff members alleged that their contributory pensions, which were deducted from their salaries over the past 10 years, have never been remitted.

The placard carrying staff with different inscriptions, claim that the management deducted a certain amount from their salaries each month as contributory pensions.

“We had an incursion on April and we had already wrapped up and so, we are supposed to be paid and we are not paid. We are only here because we need our money, April salary, our one month in lieu of notice then our entitlements and for something who has worked for 15 years, I need to be settled”.

One of the former employees, Mrs. Magdalene Onyukwu, spoke about their plight, urging the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, and the Acting Director General of the NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo, to intervene and provide justice.

“We are disgruntled staff and we are asking, if you are asking me to go, it means you are ready to pay me my benefits, they have to pay us our benefits, our gratuity, our pension, all they have collected over the years, put these together and give it to us”.

The staff are calling on the authorities to take immediate action to resolve their outstanding salaries and pension contributions, which they claim have been unfairly delayed.