Arik Air sacks 300 staff

Arik Air has  sacked 300 members of its staff to its current level of operations following Thursday’s picketing of the airline which disrupted the operations of the airline. The sacking of the staff is coming barely 24hours after the National Union of Air Transport Employees , NUATE, disrupted the airlines operations for the third time in the last five months over Conditions of Service( COS). Explaining the reason for the sack, the airline management said  the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the constrained “ability of the airline to complete heavy maintenance activities and return its planes to operations, stunted revenues against increasing operational costs”.

A statement issued by the airline and signed by Mr Adebanji Ola Manager, Communications, Arik Air, read, “Management of Arik Air (In Receivership) has declared 300 staff members redundant to its current level of operations. The leadership of the impacted unions have been contacted to negotiate a redundancy package for the affected staff.

“It is important to note that over 50% of Arik Air’s workforce of over 1,600 staff have been on furlough in the past six months on a base allowance. Decisions to let go off staff is naturally a difficult decision. Arik Air wishes the impacted staff well in their future endeavours,” Ola added.