FAAN Pensioners Prepare For Protest Over Neglect, As FAAN MD Pledges Meeting
Federal Parastatal and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) branch says pensioners of the organization across the country will as from February 15, 2025 embark on nationwide protest over what it called inability of the management to dialogue with the National Union of Pensioners (NUP).
Speaking at their first general meeting held at the local airport, Ikeja, the General Secretary of FEPPPAN FAAN branch, Comrade Emeka Njoku decried inability of the new FAAN management to meet with them over challenges being faced by the pensioners.
Addressing over 1000 pensioners, Comrade Njoku said medical facilities as granted in the past years were not being enjoyed by FAAN pensioners as it was not functioning, adding that the issue of minimum wage as it concerned them had not been addressed too as the management failed to respond to their correspondence.
“We have written to FAAN Management to call for meetings to discuss all these outstanding issues which they have not done. We are watching and this year, we will not tolerate such neglect from FAAN Management. We have to correct the neglect and anomalies,” he said.
On minimum wage, Comrade Njoku said it ought be applied to pensioners as N32,000 was granted to FAAN pensioners after the approval of minimum wage adding that they had agreement with FAAN management since 2002 which was applied by previous management that whenever there was salary increase, pension should also be increased.
Njoku said the pensioners had been enjoying the agreement implementation process but that the present management of FAAN had not done anything. He however stated that he learned that request had been sent to Income and Wages Commission seeking for approval in terms of percentage.
Njoku said FAAN management had failed to comply with their request on what platform should be used for pensioners in the organization adding that they ought to know their entitlement.
“Previous management would call us and present the proposal to us and examine if it corresponds with the salary in the 2002 agreement but they have ignored our letter, kept quiet.
“From now till 15th of this month, if they fail to call us for a meeting, we will mobilize our members throughout the country for a protest. They are meeting with other unions discussing workers’ welfare. Even the Director of Human Resources has not called us for dialogue,” he said.
The Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, in a telephone chat told our correspondent that she received the pensioners’ letter in October and slated them for a meeting December 19, 2024 following another correspondence.
Mrs Kuku said she was ready and available to meet them as she meets people without discrimination on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
