The Nigerian cabin crew members of the Virgin Atlantic Airways have accused the foreign airline of racial bias.
They wrote a letter, through their lawyer, Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), protesting their planned sacking by the end of this month.
In the said protest letter dated November 17, 2015 and addressed to the Chairman of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited, Sir Richard Branson, Fagbohungbe said the circumstances relating to the intended sacking of all the Nigerian members of the Virgin Atlantic cabin crew violated the provisions of the International Labour Conference Convention 158 and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He described as spurious and untenable the excuse that the 21 Nigerians were being disengaged based on a research that Virgin Atlantic Airline no longer needed cultural expertise on the Lagos route.
Fagbohungbe said the airline was being unfair to Nigeria as a country by planning to lay off its Nigerian employees despite the fact that the Lagos-London route remains one of, if not, the most viable and profitable route for the airline.
He also said it was particularly disdainful that the planned sacking of the Nigerians was not with the courtesy of any reasonable severance package or options like the airline would normally do where citizens of other nations were involved.
He recalled that Virgin Atlantic had earlier shut down its call centre in Nigeria and moved it to South Africa thereby compounding the unemployment rate in Nigeria while creating additional jobs for South Africa, despite the profit being made from Nigeria.
He also recalled that the relocation of the call centre had imposed additional cost on Nigerians whose calls for inquiries were now routed to South Africa.
Fagbohungbe called on Branson to order the withdrawal of the sack notices served on the Nigerian members of Virgin Atlantic Airways cabin crew within seven days or the airline will face legal action.
He also charged the Minister of Aviation to urgently look into what he termed an “utter disdain and disregard for the feelings of Nigerians by Virgin Atlantic.”
“There is no gainsaying that our clients have been treated unfairly based on their race and dislike for them as Nigerians. Virgin Atlantic’s dislike for Nigerians is further confirmed by the closure of the airline’s call centre in Nigeria which necessitated the routing of calls by Nigerian passengers in respect of their flight bookings through South Africa, this has caused unemployment in Nigeria while creating additional jobs in South Africa.
“In the same vein, although, the monies used to pay the staff in South Africa are generated in Nigeria, routing calls through South Africa is an additional cost, which was deliberately imposed on Nigerian passengers by Virgin Atlantic without due regard for the pain and agony that Nigerian passengers suffer as a result of this action.
“The decision of Virgin Atlantic to terminate the employment of our clients is another classical example of the disdain and utter disregard for the feelings of Nigerians by Virgin Atlantic and our clients have decided to resist this oppressive conduct.
“Since there is no commercial or any other valid or justifiable reason for the decision of Virgin Atlantic to terminate the employment of our clients, we demand that Virgin Atlantic should immediately withdraw the notices of termination served on our clients through its agent – Aviation Logistics and Management Limited,” Fagbohungbe’s letter read in part.
Among others, he copied the Minister of Transport, the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Shame Nigeria don't have a national carrier,if they do,Nigerians could decide to boycott Virgin completely until the staff are treated justly.Treatments like this are what you get when you entrust your destiny to others who don't give a damn about you but themselves
ReplyDeleteNo thanks to the PDP Govt who brought Virgin Atlantic and killed Nigeria Airways
ReplyDeleteNigeria Airways wasn't only killed by PDP but also by most of the former military governments. Those that managed Nigeria Airways were also very much involved in killing it. Do you know or have you heard of one Mr. Bamfa before? Who I was told sold a lot of Nigeria Airways planes for a meager amount? Stand to be corrected if I am wrong but that was what I was told by some then Nigeria Airways staff. What is actually wrong with this country called Nigeria? We are smart, we have very smart people in Nigeria but still we can't move this country forward. What is wrong? We know all the Mathematics, the Physics, the Biology, and we have all the Churches praying everyday with all these vigils going on every time on Fridays and praying on Sundays but can't manage a simple airline business. We sure need God's help. They killed Nigeria Airways so that we can be treated as we are being treated by other airlines which connived with them and compensated them with millions of money so as to be able to do whatever they like to do to us on their airlines. We can't blame them too much. It is the fault of those corrupt illiterate BASTARDS who couldn't manage their own families talk more of an airline. These people hate their country so much to destroy her airline business. Daais God oooo and He will judge us all and we shall receive rewards according to our deeds IJN EXCEPT we repent and turn to God through Jesus Christ. Tanx and Nigeria shall be blessed again. U also be blessed IJN. This is declaring God's grace upon her and you. It's me again..... RADEO 11212015 @ 8:07 pm.
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