Labour ministry orders SAHCOL to recall sacked workers, denounce disclaimer

The Ministry of Labour and Productivity on Monday ordered Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) to immediately recall the sacked union members under its employ and also reverse a disclaimer publication in the dailies against the workers.
The order is contained in a letter sent to the company from the ministry with reference number ML.HB/8301/1/7.
“In the interest of fair labour practices premised on equity and natural justice to ensure peaceful and national industrial relations systems, SAHCOL is advised to promptly recall the sacked labour leaders and reverse the disclaimer published in the Punch newspaper of April 27 on page 36, which has the potential of immense negative impact on the careers of the labour leaders”, the letter reads in part.
Workers of SAHCOL said they will begin industrial action today if the management fails to address issues bordering on staff welfare, condition of service and punitive measures against their union members.
The workers under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Employees and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association had accused the company of allegedly compromising the security of lives, properties, operations and businesses in the industry by “its alleged hostile posture to staff welfare and flagrant disregard for the unions’ rights to organise and for collective bargaining”, threatening to down tool.
The workers alleged that since the privatisation of the organisation “there has not been a single review of the staff working and welfare conditions even while the Federal Government has undertaken more than two reviews of the National Minimum Wage”, adding that the monthly take home of 65 percent of SAHCOL staff has remained perpetually at N30,000.
“Things seem to be falling apart between the management of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) and the labour unions (ATSSSAN and NUATE) over the latter’s agitation for improved conditions in the workplace and demand for the review of outdated conditions of service among other fundamental issues such as the whereabouts of four leading union officials of the two unions, namely, Aminu S. Kolawole, chairman and Lawson Imotto, secretary, both of ATSSSAN while those of NUATE namely Chukwu Jude, chairman and Kingsley Ejiogu, secretary, who were relieved of their on-duty cards (ODCs) and asked to report to the office of the general manager, human resources where their photographs were to be taken by the company’s photographer for placement in the newspapers.”