Picketing: Arik threatens legal action against unions 

The new management of Arik Air has threatened to take every legal measure at its disposal to stop any illegal interference on its operations by aviation unions.

The new management of Arik Air while condemning the picketing of the airline, by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and  National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers (NAAPE),  described it as illegal.

A statement by Simon Tumba, the media consultant to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON on Arik Air, stated that the motive of the picketing is unclear to management as the action of the unions is illegal.

In his words: “It has come to the attention of the Arik Management, (under Receivership), that the Lagos State branch of National Union of Air Transport Employees  (NUATE),  Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and  National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers (NAAPE)  has directed their members to picket Arik airline.

“We hasten to say that the motive of this picketing is unclear to Management and their action is therefore illegal”.

Tumba explained further that: “It is a well-known fact that Arik is under receivership following various challenges experienced over the last few years, which include delays and cancellations of flights, delays in payment of salaries and huge debts to trade creditors and suppliers, bad corporate governance and a host of others”.

 According to Tumba, “In exercise of its statutory powers under the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) act a Receiver was appointed over the affairs of Arik Air on February 6, 2017.

“The management had engaged with its staff and is convinced that there is no reason to picket our airline, which is facing challenging times.

However, BusinessDay’s checks show that since AMCON took over Arik Air, the airline has cut down its flights to 30percent and the management has been able to pay one month out of the two months salary the former management of the airline owed staff.

Also, many of the airline’s 28 aircraft are parked, only five are still operating, but the day AMCON took over the operations of the airline, it operated about 70 flights but now it operates about 18 flights a day.