The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) have joined all well-meaning Nigerians to condemn the action of Virgin Atlantic Airline management to layoff Nigerian cabin crew without any known procedure or reason to international labour practice or aviation professional practices and standards.
In a statement signed on behalf of ATSSSAN by Saint Omotaje and Olayinka Abioye on behalf of NUATE, it was said that, “We have studied the situation and have decided to call on the Federal Government, through the relevant ministry of Transportation and Aviation Agencies to intervene in this act of racism before it gets out of hand.
“It is now obvious that Virgin Atlantic does not have workable conditions of service for its employees. Even where they exist, they 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 warned that aviation workers would mobilise through their various Unions, Associations and International affiliates in the coming days to seek a reversal of this racial impunity on Nigerian air crew.
