More than 900 former staff Skypower Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc are up in arms against the ground handling firm over claims of none payment of N1.8 billion severance benefits due to them (retirees).
But the company has denied owing them a farthing.
Recall that in August 2020, another ground handling company, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (Nahco Aviance) Plc was locked in a controversy with about 750 of its former workers over N1.13 billion worth of severance package paid by the company to the workers after it was privatised in 2005.
While the management claimed that the sum was a loan and due for repayment by the government, the workers said Nahco Aviance had no legitimate claim to their benefits.
Speaking on behalf of the former SAHCO workers at a press conference held recently in Lagos, one of the retirees, Mr. Ochai Adamu said more than 15 of the 982 ex-workers had died while many were incapacitated while waiting for their entitlement 12 years after the company was privatised and taken over by its new owner, Sifax Group.
He said the retiree want the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) to intervene in the matter for according to him, SAHCO had hands off payment of the benefits.
Adamu said N35 billion was initially computed as workers’ benefit but was scaled down to N1.8 billion.
“The issue is who will pay this money. SAHCO’s managing director said it is BPE that will pay the money; they said we did not work for SAHCO but for government.
“The first money was paid in 2013 but it was a peanut; our lawyers took up the matter in 2013 but majority of our people have died, more than 15 people, some are unable to walk.
“There was an understanding that both SAHCO and BPE will work out the payment modalities but nothing has been done since then. They only keep our case in view for more than 11 years
“The issue got to the court but we settled out of court and now at Industrial Court but the court is frustrating the matter… as the presiding judge was transferred few days to the judgment day, this has been the case and we are tired of waiting on Industrial court even though the case is coming up again in November. We want the BPE to intervene now,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), petitioned the minister of aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika, senate and house committees on aviation, director general of BPE, asking them to intervene in the matter.
In the petition signed by Messrs Ocheme Aba and Frances Akinjole for NUATE and ATSSSAN respectively, the unions stated that the BPE had set up a committee to resolve the lingering issue which SAHCO was part and a report was submitted in February 2020.
They said all the parties involved agreed on a negotiated settlement which SAHCO and BPE were responsible for the payment but had not done so since then.
The unions also wrote the SAHCO management lamenting that “your management and the BPE has since February 2020 treated this very crucial matter affecting the lives of millions of hapless Nigerians with utmost levity.
“This is in spite of the dispassionate effort by the…minister of aviation through his letter to the BPE on the need to effect the payments.
In its reaction, SAHCO disclaimed in a statement by its spokesperson, Mrs. Vanessa Uansohia, that it is responsible for settling the workers’ severance benefits.
She wrote: “In a meeting which had in attendance the director general of the BPE and the chairman of SAHCO, BPE resolved that the benefits of the ex- staff of SAHCOL is to be borne by the government, through the BPE and not SAHCO.
“The DG however promised to meet with the union for further negotiations.
“It should be noted that SAHCO was officially listed as a PLC in 2018 and while BPE was handing over SAHCO to the Stock Exchange, these benefits was not part of the liabilities handed over. Hence, SAHCO is not responsible for the payment.” Sic
