Business
NAMA To Implement New Salary Structure For Workers
The management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has said that it will implement a new salary structure for its staff soon.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja recently by Mr Supo Atobatele, NAMA General Manager, Public Affairs.
The statement is a reaction to a threat by National President of Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN), Mr Benjamin Okewu, on February 20 that the unions would embark on a one-day warning strike on February 22 over the non-implementation of an enhanced salary package.
The other unions are National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) .
According to the statement, the management of NAMA attributed the delay in the implementation of the new salary structure to some critical omissions in the document approved by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.
It claimed that the omission were of serious concern to the union leaders who implored NAMA management to alert the commission for necessary correction.
“Having studied the approved salary structure, we observe that GL 01- GL 14 are at variance with what was negotiated as it fell short of figures of each of the grade levels.
“ In comparison with the salary structure of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) the approved salary structure of NAMA fell short to that of FAAN which was approved in 2011,’’ NAMA stated
The statement said that the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, one of the unions, wrote a letter to the management on how the differentials would undermine salary parity between FAAN and NAMA.
NAMA stated that the union leaders agreed to back out from the proposed warning strike pending the implementation.
“In a response to this request, the management officially notified the Wages Commission to take a second look at our request in respect of the proposed salary table so that the concerns being raised are properly addressed and put to rest.
“Amidst of this, the union leaders took a dramatic u-turn, asking the management to jettison the earlier request and implement what was approved by the commission.
“Engr. Nnamdi Udoh, NAMA Managing Director, has therefore reaffirmed his commitment to the welfare of the work force, but that due process would be followed,’’ it stated.
Okewu confirmed in a telephone conversation with the our correspondent that the strike had been suspended for now.