Sirika Says Nigeria’s Aviation Industry Will Deepen Adoption Of Automation

The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika says Nigeria’s aviation sector of the nation’s economy was set to spearhead and deepen adoption of automation in its agencies with a view to raising work standards among aviation workers and enhance revenue generation in all revenue generating agencies under the supervision of the Ministry.
Sirika, who spoke at the 2022 Annual Joint Consultative and Negotiating Council (JCNC) retreat in Calabar, said the adoption of automation systems had fundamentally raised personnel management in workplace and boosted productivity. He noted that all over the world, the automaton process in contemporary public and private organizations had been adopted, making it a norm and culture.
Sirika who was represented by the Director of Human Resources in the Ministry, Shehu Dogo, said his ministry was determined to resolve all outstanding industrial relations matters within the shortest time possible time and commended the unions for what he called display of commitment and patriotism by suspending the recent industrial action.
He commended the JCNC for sustaining the noble initiative and the various aviation unions in the industry for identifying with the Joint Aviation Trade Unions’ Forum –JATUF.
He expressed hope that the depth of knowledge and experiences shared among the resource persons and participants will enhance future engagements with management of government and private organizations in the struggle for improved welfare in workplace
The Chairman of the Joint Consultative and Negotiating Council JCNC Comrade Hector Nnadi in his address, said the retreat which attracted over 80 participants was organized to examine the way forward in sustaining industrial harmony in the workplace and growth of the aviation industry. It was also an avenue to take appraisal of the unions’ strategy in negotiating for the welfare of aviation workers and better workplace environment.
Comrade Nnadi said it was time for the unions to tell themselves the truth in view of happenings in the industry as it relates to industrial relations issues such as strike, protests viz a vis global labour best practices in view of the apparent fact that aviation is global.
He said the retreat provided the opportunity to look at how the labour leaders as strategic social partners to management of both government and private sectors could through synergy and technology help to improve the system(s) that survive us and the working class without destroying it
According to him, though the time for the retreat was short but it was agreed that labour leaders should come together to take an overview of the sector especially automation, how personnel performance can help drive some of the new policies and how unions can also engage authorities strategically.
The JCNC boss said recently that JCNC went round the geo political zones to sensitize workers on the issue of personnel automation adding that there was need to talk to leaders of the workers hence the retreat was organized in Calabar by the Ministry of Aviation
Nnadi said they were collaborating to ensure that people were not caught unaware when the policies would commence. He commended the Minister of Aviation, Permanent Secretary and Director of Human Resource in the ministry for their roles in the workers welfare.
The theme of the retreat was ‘Labour Leaders as strategic partners in driving the automation of personnel performance management system in the aviation sector