Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), has described as acts of lawlessness the threats by the leaderships of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), to disrupt it’s operations from Monday.

The two unions had last week issued the BASL a week ultimate to recall the 20 staff sacked following their purported intention to join any of the two leading unions in the sector.

The declaration of the workers did not however go down well with the management who allegedly sacked them immediately.

A statement by Mr. Steve Ajulo, spokesman for MMA2, insisted that the threat was an act of lawlessness by the unions.

Rather, BASL said that those who were recently layed off by the terminal operator were staff who had either attained retirement age or who were found not to be diligent in their duties.

He insisted that the company had the right to continue to improve the quality of it staff.

The statement said: “The attention of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2) has been drawn to the activities of two of the unions in the aviation industry namely, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), who have threatened to disrupt operations of our terminal.

“We are taken aback by their threat to further display acts of lawlessness against our organisation.”

Ajulo recalled that when the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) was handed over to our company in accordance with the concession agreement executed between it’s company, the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the two unions physically prevented the company from exercising it’s legal right of ownership of the terminal.

He explained that subsequent to this handover, the courts had confirmed that the terminal belonged to the company, but the unions still went ahead to frustrate implement.

“It is interesting to note that the two unions, NUATE and ATSSSAN, actually challenged our ownership of the terminal in court in Appeal No. CA/A/141/M/09. The case was decided in our favour in the Court of Appeal on the 16th day of October 2010. Their case was dismissed for lacking any merit whatsoever.

“Sequel to this, the courts have awarded damages of N132, 000, 000, 000 (One Hundred and Thirty Two Billion Naira) in favour of our company for the liability we suffered up to 2009. As at now, the damage is in excess of N200, 000, 000, 000 (Two Hundred Billion Naira). The same unions, in continuation of their desire to sabotage the operation of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are now threatening to disrupt our operations.

“We will do everything within the laws of Nigeria to enforce our right to peaceful existence and to operate our business without any interference from meddlesome interlopers.”

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The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Air Transport Employees have threatened to shut down the operations of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, for failing to allow its members of staff to join industry unions.

The management of BASL in a statement on Sunday, however, described the picketing threat by the unions as an act of lawlessness.

“We are taken aback by their threat to further display acts of lawlessness against our organisation,” the statement read in part.

According to the BASL, contrary to the allegations that members of staff had their services terminated because they threatened to join a union, the members of staff who were relieved of their appointments were those who had either attained the retirement age or who were found not to be diligent in their duties.

“We reserve the right to continue to improve the quality of our staff,” the statement added.

General Secretary of NUATE, Olayinka Abioye, told our correspondent that the union and ATSSSAN had issued a seven-day ultimatum to Bi-Courtney for the breach of the rights of its employees for joining and belonging to industry unions.

He said members of staff of the BASL met the union and indicated interest in becoming members but their decision was rejected by the company’s management.

Abioye alleged that the list sent to the company had the names of those who wanted to join the unions and most of them had been sacked.