Pension: FAAN gets 14 days ultimatum over withdrawn benefits
Pensioners of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have given the management of the organisation two weeks to address the issue of the withdrawal of some benefits being enjoyed in the past 14 years or face industrial unrest.
This followed the stalemated meeting of July24 2019 between the ad-hoc committee put in place by the managing director to look into the issue with the pensioners.
The pensioners, under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, FAAN Branch, told journalists at a briefing that FAAN under the new management has stopped their total emoluments which they have been getting since 2008 based on an agreement reached between them and the management of FAAN.
Rasaki Ope, the National Chairman and Emeka Njoku, National Secretary respectively of the FAAN pensioners, declared that some people in the FAAN were out to mislead the new management under the leadership of Capt Hamisu Yadudu by only reviewing salary and proficiency while leaving behind utilities, meal subsidy, housing among others.
The union leaders wondered why such decision should be taken without reasons after 14 years and that if FAAN Management should insist on its stand, the pensioners then called for the implementation of the 33 person increase on current pension to be used for them based on of the federal government circular.
According to them, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) were paying their pensioners based on the circular.
They lamented that the management of FAAN for over 10 years has refused to review the pension of Pensioners as against the 5 years requirement for review.
According to the pensioners, the management of FAAN has defaulted with the existing regulations stipulated in the agreement that pension rates will be increased only when there was corresponding increase in FAAN serving staff salary and relevant allowances.
Referring to series of agreements reached between the management of FAAN between 2002 and 2008, they argued that it was baseless to be agitating for increases based on government circulars as it was already resolved in 2002 that contrary to the agreement will attract court action.
They warned that pensioners of FAAN will no longer fold their arms and watch their rights being deprived as a result of the inability of the human resources and administrative directorate to do the needful.
FAAN pensioners urged the managing director of the organisation to as a matter of urgency and to avoid the wrath of the pensioners, to address the anomalies by calling on the concerned directorate to reverse the ugly decision.
They warned that all pensioners of the agency will be fully mobilised on August 6th, 2019 for a showdown with the management across the country.
According to them, the commissioner of police airport command and other security agencies have been alerted on the scheduled protest next week but declared that it could be avoided should FAAN rescind its planned cut in their allowances.
Contacted over the weekend on the issue, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu said the Managing Director, Yadudu has scheduled a meeting with the pensioners and other unions for tomorrow (Monday), 29,July 2019.
However, the National Secretary of NUP-FAAN Branch said its Union was not invited and that only three unions were invited, that is NUATE, ANAP and ATSSSAN.
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