Air France contracts passenger documentation, NUATE protests

Despite the protest of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, (NUATE), against the planned outsourcing of the passenger documentation in Air France/KLM, the airline has gone ahead to implement the new policy.

The airline in a statement by its Corporate Communications manager, Olufunmilayo Ojesina stated that the airline had decided to outsource its passenger documentation control activity in Lagos from the of July 1, 2015.

Ojesina in a statement to aviation journalists insisted that it was a procedure that is already in place at all Air France-KLM stations worldwide as well as other international airlines in Nigeria.

She insisted that the national union, staff representatives and concerned staff were duly informed of the various steps of this project since November 2014, adding that numerous negotiation meetings were held with their leading unions.

The statement added: ìAir France-KLM will continue to do its utmost to find an acceptable solution for all parties involved.î

NUATE had in a protest petition against the airline on Tuesday raised alarm that Air France/KLM was set to disengage some of its Nigerian staff.

The union in a document made available to journalists had accused the airline of engaging in unfair labour practices against its Nigerian workforce.

In a document signed by its assistant general secretary, Comrade Olayinka Abioye, NUATE alleged that the airline planned to sack some of its Nigerian workers in the Document Checking Unit by outsourcing the department to a private company, Checkport Securities Nigeria Limited without following the labour laws of the country.

He emphasised that the union was currently undergoing discussions and negotiations with the management of the airline and was surprised to learn that the airline had already outsourced the department to the company, adding that ëit was in flagrant disobedient to the labour rules of Nigeriaí.