Dana Air has terminated several workers without paying their salary backlogs, according to some of the affected employees. Although the airline management recently attributed this to an ongoing operational audit by regulatory authorities, the employees claimed it is part of a move by the airline to shut down operations.
In April, the Nigerian government directed the airline to suspend its commercial operations over safety concerns. This directive was given by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, following an incident at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos State, where a Dana Air commercial aircraft skidded off the runway.
A photograph captured the moment after the aircraft skidded off the runway. The passengers were evacuated safely, and no casualties were recorded, but the incident raised concerns about the fitness of Dana Air aircraft for domestic commercial operations.
Some workers accused the Group Managing Director/CEO of Dana Group of Companies, Jacky Hathiramani, of causing the issues by “micromanaging every department of the company.”
One dismissed worker said, “What happened in April about the runway excursion revealed that the authorities found the root cause of the problems, stemming from his micromanagement. Our warehouse for spares is practically empty because he doesn’t buy spares and flies one of the oldest planes.
“That incident happened at the end of April, and he didn’t say anything to staff members. Five days later, we received an email stating that all staff were put on leave without pay.
“What is leave without pay? Leave without pay until the NCAA (Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority) audit findings are concluded? Pay us our April salary, but he refused.
“Days after, we started receiving emails from HR informing us that our services were no longer required.”
Another source said, “Every businessman reserves the right to disengage employees, but there are rules. If you are disengaging me, you should pay me one month in lieu of notice and the salaries for the months I have worked.
“But now you owe me salaries, you are not paying me one month in lieu of notice, and you are asking me to leave. Since 2008, they have been deducting pensions from staff members but never remitting them. They don’t remit pension deductions or taxes.
“We are saying, fine, you want to lay us off, but pay us what is right. Pay us our benefits and all the deductions from our salaries for pensions and taxes, and we will go. It is your right to disengage us, but it is our right to collect our benefits. Some of us have worked for the airline for up to 15 years.”
The workers plan to collectively engage a senior lawyer who is a human rights activist to file legal action against the company. One source said, “We are coming together to engage a renowned Nigerian human rights activist who is also a SAN, but we want to do everything systematically.
“On Tuesday, we will start a three-day rally in front of Dana’s head office because we have information that they have started sending all the Indians out of the country.
“He is planning to shut down the business completely. We must ensure that before he shuts down the business, he pays us our money.
“They are claiming they don’t have funds to run the company except from investors and are asking people to go. We are opening handles on Instagram and X, and we intend to record and stream the rally live on social media.”
Attempts to reach the Head of Corporate Communications for the airline, Kingsley Ezenwa, for comments failed.
However, in a recent statement confirming the staff disengagement, Ezenwa said the NCAA was conducting an audit of the airline after one of its aircraft skidded off the runway. He described the decision to disengage staff as a temporary move pending the audit’s conclusion.
He said, “We regret to inform you that your service is no longer required effective May 9, 2024. This difficult decision was necessitated by the unfortunate suspension of our AOC/business operations by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the enormous challenges the suspension continues to occasion.
“We thank you for your contribution to the organisation during your time here and wish you the best in your future endeavours.
“The audit, currently underway, is a collaborative effort between Dana Air and the authorities to ensure compliance with all necessary standards and regulations. Dana Air reaffirms its commitment to full cooperation with the authorities to facilitate a smooth and expedited resolution of the audit process.
“In light of the ongoing audit, Dana Air has temporarily disengaged some staff members to ensure efficient management of resources and facilitate a thorough review of operational procedures.
“The Management of Dana Air extends its sincere appreciation to all staff members for their resilience and dedication during this period of uncertainty. We recognize the difficulties staff have endured and assure them that every effort is being made to resolve the situation promptly.
“Dana Air remains committed to providing updates and support to its staff throughout this process. While these challenges are being addressed, Dana Air has commenced talks with lessors and is currently engaging stakeholders on the progress made so far.”
The airline called for calm and understanding from its dedicated staff and stakeholders, stating that the management is working diligently to address concerns and prepare a restart plan that ensures the safe and efficient resumption of operations.
“Dana Air is confident that with the continued support of its staff and stakeholders, it will overcome these challenges and emerge stronger than ever,” the statement added.