By Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo
Members of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association NATCA say there will be no further dialogue with the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency NAMA but to embark on industrial action next week should the agency fail to implement the reached agreement on welfare and equipment replacement.
A statement signed by the National Secretary of NATCA Olawole Banji said NATCA will down tools by March 15,2015.
Banji said NATCA will not inform the management of its resolve to proceed on strike adding that it has given the NAMA management two weeks to allow for the conclusion of approved process of the proposed harmonized allowances for them agreed upon on January 18 2015.
According to them, NATCA has painstakingly made efforts to win the understanding of the simple majority of members.
NATCA had in the last weeks threatened to embark on strike following the inability of NAMA management to implement all the agreements reached.
The Controllers were agitating for improved working conditions especially replacement of obsolete equipment at various locations across the country and their welfare enhancement.
Meanwhile, the Aeronautical Information Service AIS, the body charged with the responsibility of generating information to pilots and the public had recently threatened to confront the management of NAMA for playing politics with professional issues in the organisation which ought not to be in an aviation agency.
Babatunde Shittu AIS president in an interview, said that the management has relegated them and made it look as if only NATCA was the professional body in NAMA always agitating for improved welfare without considering other bodies.
According to Shittu, “In AIS Manual Document 8126, Chapter 3, Paragraph: 3.1.2.3 refers: AIS officers should be remunerated at least at the same level as personnel in the AGA, COM and ATS Division ”
AIS expressed with great concern and disappointment that the Executive Council (Exco) and the entire Congress of the Aeronautical Information Services Association of Nigeria (AISAN), the umbrella professional body that represents the interest of AIS Personnel in the country, kick against the current harmonization processes being offered by the committee as the said ongoing negotiation is tailored to particularly favoured group in the Agency.
He warned that they will soon kick start their agitation should government fail to carry all of them along.
“Harmonization Committee clearly demonstrate(s) that AIS is not recognised in Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) as a professional body, and also observed with frustration that AIS is seemingly neglected to the extent that we are hardly carried along in decision making that directly or indirectly affect us”
We are now appealing to)( the NAMA Management, to go the extra mile to give AIS smooth landing by meeting the standard set by ICAO.
Shittu called in the management of NAMA to as a matter of urgency train the remaining 122 AIS Officers who were yet to be trained as International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO requires, to enable them perform optimally.
He also demanded the activation of Basic Cartography and GIS Course in Oyo: AIS/Aero Chart Officers were last trained in the program five (5) years ago and to reactivate the course as this will improve the briefing skill of its personnel.
The AIS president explained that transformation from Aeronautical Information Service to Aeronautical Information Management was imminent; hence the necessity for this training cannot be over emphasised adding that the sensitive training has been abandoned for over four years calling for the training of the remaining 65 AISOII Officers in order to be integrated properly in the department.
He lamented the dearth in AIS personnel and the need to address the issue of their professional allowance and that of Airmen.
