Aero Contractors’ Workers Want Aero-Airbus Agreement Reviewed

Following the dwindling finances of Aero contractors leading to the management’s inability to meet up with salary obligations, workers of the airline have called for a review of the airline’s agreement with Airbus that ushered in two Airbus aircraft.
The two aircraft, it was learned were deployed to Aero Contractors’ lucrative routes while the original aircraft of the airline were rendered redundant, being sometimes, given just one slot.
The President of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Comrade Abednego Galadima said the issues surrounding the agreement would be looked into.
Only recently, the Managing Director of Aero contractors, Capt. Mahmood reportedly said the airline had issues in December and that the situation would gradually improve when Aero aircraft undergoing maintenance return.
Workers Aero have threatened strike action should the management fail to address issues raised with them over workers’ welfare which include, lifting suspension on their conditions of Service, rightful placement, payment of salaries and withdrawal of the two Airbus aircraft from Aero lucrative routes.
It was gathered that out of the five Abuja slots for Aero contractors aircraft, four slots were given to the Airbus while only one slot was allotted to real Aero aircraft. Out of the 180 seats in the Airbus, only three was allocated to Aero. Our sources described the agreement as a way to strangle the airline and called for 10 percent of the total seats to be given to the airline by Airbus. If this is done, it would amount to 18 seats.
The workers called on the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) to speak up adding that their silence speaks volumes.
They allege that “Aero has not owed salaries since the present management came on board but with the Airbus agreement, everything nosedived. Individuals are now getting the revenue that airline workers were supposed to be collecting as generated by Aero aircraft”
“As it is now, it is a one-sided agreement and we don’t know those that negotiated the agreement. There is nothing bad in having the Airbus planes in Aero fleet but it should not be used to kill the airline as it is going now. Aero does not have a dime and it is difficult to pay workers’ salary. They said they have paid 70 percent. The 70 percent is for junior workers. The bulk of the salaries have not been paid. ”