Photo Caption:
L-R: General Secretary, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Mr. Francis Akinjole, General Secretary, Aviation Roundtable Safety Initiative, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo, First Deputy President, ATSSSAN, Comrade Emmanuel Jaja, President of ATSSSAN, Ilitrus Ahmadu Esq., former President of ATSSSAN, Solomon Ohiomah at the 2024 May Day Workers Celebration at the ATSSSAN Secretariat along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja on Wednesday.

The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) on Wednesday described as unfortunate the death of five former staff of the defunct Nigerian Airways who passed on within the last seven days without receiving their final severance packages promised them by the federal government since the liquidation of the the airline by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

ATSSSAN noted that over a hundred former workers of the country’s national airline has died since the last verification and part payment exercise carried out during the Muhammad Buhari’s administration in 2019.

Speaking at the May 1st 2024 Workers Day celebration at the ATSSSAN Secretariat in Lagos, First Vice President of the association, Comrade Emmanuel Jaja urged the federal government to settle all the outstanding severance benefits of the elsewhere Nigeria carrier workers who he said put in the greater part of their life in the service of their Fatherland.

Also, Jaja said the labour union kicked against the recent increase in electricity tariff in the country amidst the epileptic power supply in the nation.

The ATSSSAN Leader lamented that the country is currently grounded following the ongoing fuel supply challenges saying the labour body is studying the situation.

Speaking on the issue of companies in the aviation industry that have refused to allow their staff to join trade unions in the sector, Jaja said “soon, we will make the industry uncomfortable for such companies and airlines.”

Jaja said “ATSSSAN frowned at the recent increment in electricity tariff without the input of the labour unions, we call for a return to status quo. Government must also urgently address the issues of minimum wages for workers in order not to incur the wrath of the Nigerian workers.”

“again we wish to lament the death of five former Staff of the Nigerian Airways Staff who lost their lives in the last one week, including the pilot whose plane was hijacked in 1993, Captain Makpo Omodiagbe without them receiving their full benefits from the federal government after the liquidation of the the airline.”

He said “the government must endeavour to pay the remaining living staff so that they can enjoy the labour of their lives before they are called home by their creator.”

“We wish to reiterate that ATSSSAN in collaboration with NUATE and other unions will make the industry uncomfortable for airlines and companies that has refused to allow their workforce to unionised” he told the union members.