The
Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) yesterday
picketed the Landover Group, the company that operates Overland Airways,
aviation training, publication and marketing intuitions, over alleged
subjection of workers to poor service conditions.
The
company was also accused by the union of failure to remit workers’
pension and other welfare related issues and therefore shut down the
operational headquarters of the organisation located at Medical Road,
Ikeja Lagos.
THISDAY
learnt that union members from Warri in collaboration with their
counterparts in Lagos arrived at the headquarters of the company by 4:30
a.m. and locked out the management of the company and barred even the
Managing Director, Captain Edward Boyo, from gaining access to the
premises of the company.
It
was alleged that Boyo’s comment on arrival at the gate of the company
angered the union members and embarrassed the Lagos State Commissioner
of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who arrived at the scene to sustain law and
order.
Eye
witnessed account said Owoseni was passing by when he saw policemen and
women stationed at Landover premises and alighted to pacify the union
members after he learnt that the union members were protesting alleged
maltreatment of the company’s workers.
THISDAY
learnt that negotiation broke down when the Chief Executive, Boyo, and
some members of his staff went headlong with members of the Air ATSSSAN
who picketed the company over labour grievances.
The
chief executive and some of his staff were on a warpath as they tried
to move the vehicle which the unions blocked the gate of the office
with.
Union
members were carrying placards with the inscriptions such as ‘We are
workers and not salves, 15 years no gratuity no pay off , No anti labour
practices, No proof of tax payment, Remit our pension and Enough of
wrongful dismissal’.
Speaking
to journalists over the shutdown of the company, the National President
of ATSSSAN, Ilitrus Ahmadu, said the union decided to picket the
company following the irreconcilable differences between the union and
the management of Landover Group.
He
added that negotiation on the issue in question would have been
concluded in March 2016 but that the company’s management allegedly
walked out of the meeting to the surprise of the union.
Ahmadu
said the crisis between the union and management of Landover has to do
with the welfare of Helicopter Landing Officers (HLOs), who are
affiliated to the union.
“In
the Landover Group, we have the helicopters landing officers, who are
affiliated to the ATSSSAN and we are here this morning because of an
avoidable situation that was mismanaged by the management. We have been
in discussion with the management of Landover company over review of
conditions of services, which ought to have been ready since last 2016,
but the management due to indiscretion dragged the process up till now.
“We
have been talking, but there are few areas that we have not been able
to agree, but they are fundamental areas covered by the laws. For
instance, Landover says if they have a disciplinary committee to try our
members, no union member should be a part of it. This is unheard of.
The law requires that the union to which the officer belongs should be
represented even in an observer capacity. We’ve been dragging this with
Landover for a long time, but they don’t seem to agree,” Ahmadu said.
No Landover Group official was willing to react to the incident as at press time.
By Chinedu Eze
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