Caverton’s ex-workers get N400 million terminal, redundancy benefits

• Airline, unions meet to resolve face-off

Aviation unions’ plans to picket Caverton Helicopters tomorrow April 15^th over misunderstanding between them and the management of the carrier may have been called off.

The unions held a crucial meeting with the carrier today where all matters were resolved just as the management told Woleshadare.net that it had gone beyond its plans before the crisis started to pay all workers laid off their terminal benefits.

Aside that, the airline had equally paid 50 of the 90 workers their redundancy benefits amounting to over N400 million.

.The Managing Director of Caverton Helicopters, Captain Josiah Choms confirmed to our correspondent that the remaining 40 workers would be paid end of next month, adding that there was no reason for the picketing of its head office last week when arrangement had been made to pay the ex-workers.

A top official of the airline who spoke under strict condition of anonymity said the actual problem started over terminal and redundancy benefits.

His words, “The terminal benefits had been paid after the workers were relieved of their jobs. We made the payment to them April 4, 2019. Out of about 97 workers, over 50 workers had been paid their redundancy benefits remaining about 40. We have promised to pay them by the end of next month.”

“The 40 are the ones kicking. They disrupted and picketed our office in collaboration with the unions. They were busted by the Police who came to disperse them at 2am on Tuesday last week. How can some people choose to picket a company at 2am?, he asked.

The unions,: National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE); Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN); Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP); National Association of Air Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Services Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) had resolved to picket the airline starting from Monday.

Before now, they maintained that picketing of Caverton Helicopters shall continue until all employees being owed are paid their due terminal benefits as negotiated by the affected unions of NUATE, ATSSSAN and NAAPE

The unions frowned at the action of the Nigeria Police, alleging that In the early hours of Thursday April 9th, 2019, the Nigeria Police Force stormed Caverton Helicopters – in Commando Fashion, intimidated, harassed, assaulted, brutalized and traumatized officials and members of National Union of Air Transport Employees NUATE who were engaged in the lawful activity of picketing Caverton Helicopters under the directive of the union. They alleged that 12 of them were violently whisked away to unknown destination.

All 12 members, according to them were later released after mass protest at the airport by their fellow members.

Wole Shadare