The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has threatened to embark on industrial action if the Federal Government refuses to exempt aviation agencies from the directive seeking 50 per cent deduction from their internally generated revenue.
This was revealed in a communiqué issued by ATSSSAN’s National Executive Council, after the National Economic Council meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent.
The NEC meeting was attended by all the 17 affiliates of ATSSSAN with the full complement of their respective branch chairmen, secretaries, and national officers.
ATSSSAN reiterated calls for the exemption of the aviation agencies from the deduction of 50 per cent of their IGR under the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The association said the agencies were not established for profit, adding that stifling them of the required funds would jeopardise the effective performance of their safety and security mandates.
Last year, the Federal Government directed the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to immediately commence the presidential directives on a 50 per cent automatic deduction from the internally generated revenue of Federal Government-owned enterprises.
According to the circular, all partially-funded federal government agencies and parastatals (receiving capital or overhead allocation from the federal government’s budget) should remit 50 per cent of their gross IGR, while all statutory revenues, like tender fees, contractor’s registration, and sales of government assets, among others, should be remitted 100 per cent to the sub-recurrent account.
Citing Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and international labor norms, the association contends that such actions constitute a violation of worker rights.
The statement, however, did not specify the airline operators suppressing workers from joining unions.