Erstwhile workers of aviation catering service, Newrest ASL Nigeria Plc., which operates at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, have accused the management of the company of hiding under the guise of the novel COVID-19 pandemic to terminate their employment.
The workers, who belong to the National Union of air Transport Employees, NUATE, have amongst them, executive members, who were all sacked alongside 170 others recently in one fell swoop by the Newrest management. NUATE is the union body that has been representing employees of Newrest following the resolution of a meeting convened by the national president of the Nigeria Labour Congress with Newrest ASL Management and the chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Lagos State Council in Abuja, as empowered by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Section 40).
In view of that decision, pending matters in the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) have been mandated by the national president of the NLC to be withdrawn in favour of NUATE without hesitation.
In a communique issued by the body and made available to Freelanews, it had called for the payment of the pre-COVID-19 50% salary to be paid in full to all staff as agreed in the communique signed by the Newrest ASL Management and the Staff Union Executives on the 20th of March 2020.
Among other things, it requested for that all the outstanding payments which includes Annual Leave for 2019-2020, Long Service Award for 2019-2020, The 125% Newrest Global Salary Increment of 2017 to be paid workers. Others include the payment of unlawful salary deductions from August 2019 -December 2020, accumulated union dues from November 2016 to date to be paid, all unremitted pension deductions should be remitted to the various Pension Administrators with proof of credit balance and that the Old Cooperative Embezzled Fund of 2010 should be refunded to the workers, among others.
The workers, who pleaded anonymity, have called for the intervention of relevant authorities in compelling the company to meet its demands.
