NAMA , Labour Union Partner to Enthrone Industry Harmony

Chinedu Eze

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has been deliberating with labour unions in the aviation to come to a compromise whereby labour would fully exhaust dialogue before engaging in industry action.

It is expected that when this is achieved, it would drastically reduce the operational hiccups caused by incessant picketing and strike in the industry.

In pursuit of this objective, NAMA management recently held an engagement forum with the Joint Aviation Trade Unions that include National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATCA), National Association of Aeronautical Engineers (NAAE), Aeronatical Information Management Association of Nigeria (AIMA), National Aeronautical Communication Association of Nigeria (NACAN), and Almagamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recerational Services Employees ( ACUPTRE).

The forum, which held at the corporate headquarters of the airspace agency provided an opportunity for the airspace agency team, led by Captain Fola Akinkuotu to engage the leadership of aviation unions on how to forestall industrial unrest and examine issues bordering on non conclusive conditions of service, poor salaries as a result of non implementation of the National Wages and Salaries Commission approval so that NAMA would operate same salary structure with Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Led by the National President of NUATE, Comrade Mohammed Dauda Safiyanu , the meeting offered opportunity for NAMA management to resolve mistrust that has existed in the agency due to animosities occasioned by rivalry between different directorates an departments.

According to Safiyanu , the meeting also provided opportunity for NAMA management to leverage capacity building, foster training and promotion personnel of the agency to eliminate low work morale.

The meeting provided an opportunity to consider ancillary issues especially matters of discipline and the need to promote fair, just and harmonious work environment. It also help to reduce tension in the work environment through constructive interface as the agency sets the tone for 2018 in the discharge of its corporate mandate.

“We are happy with the management change in NAMA which brought Captain Akinkuotu to office as managing director and other officials in the human resource department especially the director, Maira Bashir.”

Safiyanu said the meeting achieved its purpose, “There is now assurance of dialogue on issues that will move NAMA forward, which is now possible with the unit in charge of industrial relations and discipline. This is good, because such a unit did not exist. But, with the new arrangement, unions are now ready to synergise with management so that there will not be any unnecessary distractions. If there is any reason to suspect any issue that may trigger disharmony, it will be professionally resolved through the industrial relations and discipline unit of NAMA.”

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