Aviation unions slam virgin Atlantic over sack of Nigeria employees

Biodun Abimbola

The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) on Sunday condemned the management of virgin Atlantic Airline over the sack of Nigerian cabin crew without any known procedure or reason to international labour practise or aviation professional practices and standards.

Richard Branson

The unions in a statement signed unbehalf of ATSSSAN by Saint Omotaje and Olayinka Abioye, on behalf of NUATE declared “We have studied the situation and have decided to call on the Federal Government, through the relevant ministry of Transportation and Aviation Agencies (MDA’s) to intervene in this act of RACISM before it gets out of hand.”

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The statement reads; “The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have joined all well-meaning Nigerians all over the world to condemn in totality the action of virgin Atlantic Airline management to layoff Nigerian cabin crew without any known procedure or reason to international labour practise or aviation professional practices and standards.

“It is now obvious that Virgin Atlantic does not have a workable condition of service for its employees. Even where it exist, it discriminate against the Black race (Nigerians) aboard their airplane and yet they will not want to leave the Lagos – UK route for those that love us, Nigerians.”

The unions however warned that aviation workers will mobilised through their various Unions, Associations and International affiliates in the coming days to seek the reversal of this Racial impunity on Nigerian Crew.

“We believe that Virgin Atlantic must respect their Community Social Responsibility (CSR) obligation owed Nigerians.

“If they cannot use our crew in their airline then they have no business flying into or from our country where they make a lot of money.”