By Lawani Mikairu

LAGOS — The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria , FAAN, and the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association, ATSSSAN, have agreed to begin negotiation over the ultimatum the union served the agency concerning industrial action. The union had, weekend, given the agency 48 hours ultimatum to address their grievances.

The union had demanded that FAAN immediately reverse the approval granted Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), the operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport domestic terminal, known as MMA2, to commence regional operation.

Union’s reason for the reversal was that BASL has allegedly refused to pay for services rendered to it by FAAN, noting that it is from such accruing revenues that the workers are paid their emoluments.

Reacting, the General Manager, Public Affairs of FAAN, Yakubu Dati said the FAAN management was aware of these issues and has started initiating processes to handle them as they are.

He said: “Whatever issues the unions have expressed, we will deal with as a family. Their grievances will be looked into and as I said we have already started a process to get to an amicable solution that will not lead to any unrest. So we appeal for calm and urge the union to partner us as we all want one and the same thing, the growth of this industry.”

Dati also said these issues were ones that would be solved as a family and that FAAN management was concerned about all the outstanding debts and doing all in its power to ameliorate the situation and maintain the normalcy that has been on for a long time now.

The union had earlier given the agency 48 hours ultimatum to address these issues, but with the readiness of FAAN to attend to all these issues, the union agreed to a truce.

In a letter dated November 26, 2015 signed by Rotimi Kehinde on behalf of the general secretary of ATSSSAN addressed to the Managing Director of FAAN, the union said, “We hereby place before you and your management the under listed demands to be met within 48 hours or face withdrawal of service in all FAAN formations.

“ATSSSAN is seeking, among other things, the immediate reversal of the approval granted Bi-Courtney (MMA2) to commence regional flights when we all know that Bi-Courtney is not paying for services rendered by FAAN.”
FAAN also said that it believed that whatever disagreement between the agency and the union would amicably be resolved because the unions and FAAN pursue the same objectives which include providing efficient and satisfactory service to travellers and motivating the workforce by improving its welfare for efficient delivery of service.