Caverton Helicopters, Unions reach truce, suspend strike

After one day of shutting down operations of Caverton Helicopters over labour related issues, the airline and the National Associate of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) have reached a truce and have agreed to suspend the strike action.
At the end of a meeting to end the stand-off, both parties agreed that all outstanding June 2016 salaries will be paid within 10 working days from today, July 13, 2016 and that July 2016 and subsequent salaries will be paid on the 26th of every month according to our contact terms of employment and the Condition of Services signed by the company.
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  It was also agreed that a meeting should be convened urgently between the unions and the full management to discuss several other issues including pensions, PAYE, taxes, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) exchange rates and outstanding condition of service for non-crew among others.
They also agreed that there would be no victimisation of any employee as a result of this incidence.
 The communique was jointly signed by NAAPE National President, Balami Isaac, Director, Strategy and Planning Caverton , Kingsley Uwagbale,  Head, Resource Management, Caverton; Mojisola Omotunde,  Financial Controller, Caverton;  Francis Aremu, General Secretary NAAPE ; Ocheme Aba and Acting General Secretary, NUATE. Olayinka Olu Abioye.
NAAPE had yesterday shut down the operations of Caverton Helicopters as part of the one day warning strike to protest against the disparity in the payment of salaries between expatriate and Nigerian pilots and engineers.
The strike affected the company’s offices in Shell, NAF Base in Port Harcourt, as well as Warri and Lagos.
The one day warning strike which affected the operations of Caverton was enforced by NAAPE members between midnight of July 12, 2016 to midnight of July 13, 2016.
The warning strike is equally to express the union’s discomfort over the refusal by the helicopter company to commit to pay remunerations being converted from Dollars to Naira at prevailing inter- bank rate as previously agreed between the management of the rotary wing and NAAPE.
General Secretary of NAAPE, Ocheme Aba, stated that it was worrisome that Caverton Helicopters is discriminating between expatriate and Nigeria pilots and engineers in the payment of salaries.
He further stated that while the salaries of expatriates in the company had been paid up to date and promptly, the pilots and engineers, who are Nigerians are still been owed salaries.
The General Secretary also hinted that the one-day warning, which would see the activities of the rotary wing giant grounded is to protest the refusal of the company to pay salaries every month on or before the 26th day of the month as contained in the Condition of Service as against the current practice, where salaries runs into months in arrears.
He posited that despite several efforts made by NAAPE to address the several labour issues that have severed the relationship between the union and the management of the company, Caverton has refused to resolve these matters.
Union, he stated they would not allow Caverton Helicopters to get away with this hence the warning strike. NAAPE also accused Caverton Helicopters of deducting tax and from the workers’ salaries without remitting same to the appropriate authorities.
According to him,” having exhausted all avenues of seeking redress without success, we have come to the painful conclusion that the management of Caverton has taken our patience and goodwill for granted.”
He urged all members to cooperate with the branch executive and actively support the endeavour.
On what would happen if the company fails to address the issues raised, the General Secretary said that NEC of NAAPE will meet to take further drastic actions against the company.
Wole Shadare