Workers of Dana Air, operator of Dana Airline, sacked by the company on Tuesday have held a protest demanding payment of their salary backlog and entitlements.
Dana Air sacked several of its workers without paying their salary backlogs.
Though the management of the airline recently blamed it on the ongoing operational audit by regulatory authorities, the affected employees said it is part of the move by the airline to shut down operations.
Some of the 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”.
Speaking during the protest on Tuesday, a sacked Access Supervisor of the Airline, Gloria Okonkwo said, “We can’t do anything with an empty stomach. We accept to go, no problems. We have been sacked, no problems, but we need our settlement.
“Our route April salary, we need it. In lieu of notice of May salary, we need it. Our entitlements, we need it. We are not fighting. We just want what is accrue to us to be given to us. The Bible says give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to Jesus what belongs to Jesus.
“If you know the one that belongs to me, please give it to us. It is enough for us. It is our right, not a privilege.”
Another protester said, “We have suffered for Dana. For the past nine years I have been charged N31,000, yet, I can’t say that I have my tax clearance.
“It even got to a point when an accountable manager said that I was trying to victimise people physically and spiritually. We are not here to fight. You have given us no service required letters, we will go but just give us our money.”
Addressing journalists, Okonkwo said, “We have been trodden up. They have shown us that we are nothing, and truly, we are nothing. We are just crying.
“Most of us here worked for 15 years and more. And recently, there was an announcement that all the Dana staff have been sacked on one of the social media.
“We thought it was a joke but we started receiving messages that our services are no longer required. That the company does not have money. We wondered why and what we have done.
“We had an incursion in April but by that April had already wrapped up April work. So, we are supposed to be paid but we are not paid. We are here because we need our money.
“Our pensions that need to be remitted into our various accounts, this money was already deducted every month they pay salary but at this particular time, it has not been remitted.”