Nearing the end of his second tenure, the President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, Abednego Galadima, speaks on navigating airline collapses, COVID-19 layoffs, and union mistrust, while championing pilots’ and engineers’ welfare. He recounts how unity and tough negotiations kept the association strong in this interview with OLASUNKANMI AKINLOTAN. Excerpts:

You have almost completed your second tenure as the President of NAAPE. What challenges did you meet when you assumed office, and how were you able to navigate them?

This has been a great learning opportunity for me. The journey that started in 2017, by the grace of God, who has carried us on His wings, will soon end. One of the challenges we had to face after my election, which was a very competitive one, was to make amends with those who were aggrieved to ensure that we were once again united on a common cause. That was a challenge, but we were able to navigate it. Apart from that, my election was around the time AMCON had taken control of Aero Contractors and Arik Air. After the demise of Nigerian Airways, Aero used to be a very strong base of NAAPE, and the development really impacted the association negatively. We had to contend with issues of redundancy compensation for members. There was no money, and AMCON was not forthcoming, but to the glory of God, we were able to fight consistently, and now 95 per cent of what our members are owed has been paid. We had serious financial issues in the association because of that. Rent was being owed; salaries needed to be paid from a very lean, shoestring budget. It was a huge challenge, but, to the glory of God, today all that is in the past. Another challenge we had to face was the issue of the wrong perception the industry has about unions. Some would even tell you that unions are responsible for the demise of Aero Contractors, which is a lie. If not for the unions, Aero Contractors and Arik Air would probably not be standing today because of the tremendous advocacy that we tried to do in support of these two entities at all times. Most of the upcoming airlines have a very erroneous perception of unions. They threaten their staff not to join unions. But unfortunately, and regrettably so, they forget that they will need us in the rainy days, and most times you see these members coming back to the secretariat and paying their fees because they need protection. I remember when one of the international airlines had a service provider that insisted that some engineers must not join the union. Eventually, when Emirates stopped coming to Nigeria, they had to lay them off. When those events happened, the workers wanted the protection of the union, and unfortunately, it was a European entity. When we tried to intervene, they told us that the members said they were not members of the union, even when they had given them the opportunity to come with union representatives to be on their panel during appeals. So, you see, some of these things have a way of getting back at the members, and it is unfortunate. I believe every employer that knows he is in for a good deal will not have problems allowing members of staff to associate with unions. These are the kinds of issues we often find ourselves dealing with. So, the trust deficit between some of the social partners and the unions tried to breed an adversarial relationship. We had to smoothen it by gaining trust through collaborative engagements and creative cooperation with our social partners to win their trust and to show that unions are not there to pull down businesses. It was during my tenure that we suffered from COVID-19, which saw the closure of most airports and created a huge challenge for the industry. At some point, we had to deal with the issue of an employer sacking 69 pilots and other employers sacking workers. We had to navigate all of that to protect our members’ rights, and, at the same time, working with the airlines, we advocated for a bailout package because we knew that both parties were feeling the impact. We had to contend with redundancies caused by the pandemic, and many of our members were affected. But the good thing is that the compensation was good. We negotiated and ensured that members got very good packages, and some of them didn’t even want to go back because they got seed money to start businesses of their own. We have also had situations where some airlines, like Dana, became distressed. They shut down, and some of our members could not get their benefits. It is very unfortunate and regrettable. That is why we believe that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority should insist that airlines have a robust management structure that protects workers so that they won’t have to be the ones to pay for mismanagement.

You will soon be passing the baton of leadership in a matter of, I think, a month. Could you briefly spotlight your achievements so far?

My greatest achievement is the ability to keep the association united despite some of the challenges we went through. I thank God for the team we had in this administration. They have been very cooperative, forward-looking and committed. All we achieved came as a result of unity, and that is why today we can talk about owning an office. This is a union that was broken when we came on board, but today we own a national secretariat in Ikeja, and we’ve been able to ensure that it’s properly functional.

Another major achievement is that we are the first association to conduct a Safety Evaluation Index. We came up with a scientific way of evaluating safe airlines, and you know our members are the ones that work there; they fly and maintain the aeroplanes. We did that and recognised airlines that are doing well, and we believe it is a huge contribution to the development of the industry.

Apart from that, we needed to motivate our members, so we made a compendium of 50 outstanding aircraft pilots and engineers, which helped us to identify outstanding members of our association and showcase them. We believe it can serve as a reference material and provide opportunities for direct and indirect mentoring. When a professional who is upcoming sees the compendium, he or she can look up to somebody and say, ‘Oh, I want to be like this one.’”

We also ensured that every year we trained our leadership regularly through our NECs and some of the media events we held. We ensured that our constitution was updated in tune with current realities. We amended where we needed to amend, and it was properly documented and gazetted by the Federal Government. When I assumed office, the constitution was still in the works. I was the one that saw to the conclusion of the amendment process and ensured it was gazetted.

We know that there are not many pilots and aircraft engineers in the country, so to leverage other people’s strength, we got affiliated with the Nigerian Labour Congress, which gave us the opportunity to leverage their resources. We are also affiliated with the International Workers’ Federation, which gives us leverage both locally and internationally because it has membership in more than 47 countries and over 18 million members. We ensured that we relentlessly protected workers’ rights and that they have robust, regularly updated conditions of service. Don’t forget we had to go on strike several times just to ensure that our members have a very robust condition of service in tune with current realities.

To strengthen our financial capacity, my administration successfully set up an ATO called Penn Aviation Institute, and, by the grace of God, in a matter of days, we shall be receiving our certificate from the NCAA, which will give us the opportunity to train our members and contribute our quota in terms of developing manpower in the industry. Our facility will also have a travellers’ lodge with an eight-room capacity to serve people better and expand our financial base. We don’t want to rely on the goodwill of our partners and dues.

When we came in, there was no serious compensation for families of members that lost their lives. I came and instituted it, and today we have that package in place. Now, if such a thing happens, we give the families a very handsome sum, which I believe my successor will want to improve on. We came in and ensured that members are properly documented, and apart from that, we have certificates that we give which our members use to get commendation letters, placements, and travel opportunities. So, we have built a very credible organisation, and our members are enjoying the benefits.

From day one when I assumed office, I instituted the Women’s Commission, which was also part of the proposed constitution that was in place, but I brought it to light and ensured that we inaugurated it. We have a National Women Leader that has served on our team, and that gave the women pilots and engineers among us a platform to engage with female professionals in other climes.

This is an opportunity for you to discuss major issues that pilots and engineers are facing in this sector that have not abated.

A good number of our young pilots and engineers don’t have job opportunities up till now, particularly the young pilots who need hours to build on. For the young engineers again, we thank God for some of the maintenance and repair organisations which have given them the opportunity to build and develop skills.

Again, if we have more MROs, it will be an opportunity to develop more local capacity. When you go to countries like Morocco, you have several MROs opening up the space. So, as it is now, we need more opportunities for pilots and engineers so that they can be gainfully employed. Particularly, we need more of these experiences with aircraft changing in terms of modernisation.

How were you able to navigate welfare issues concerning your members at their various workplaces?

The union exists because of the welfare of our members, to protect their work and to ensure that they get fair and appropriate compensation for whatever service or work they are rendering. However, all organisations are not the same. Their financial ability to pay compensation is not the same, and we factor in these peculiarities anytime we negotiate the condition of service for our members. Every time we have a member whose job is threatened, we ensure we quickly step in to reach an amicable resolution, and where there’s injustice, we make sure that justice is served.

You spoke about airlines hindering your members from unionising, as well as the expatriate quota. Can you speak further on these?

Let me begin by addressing the issue of union membership and the right to unionise.

There should be no ambiguity here. Yes, we have chosen not to be disruptive, but that should not be mistaken for silence or inaction. We have consistently raised this matter at the appropriate forums.

To be clear, during our last engagement with the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development in Lagos, he explicitly directed the DG of the NCAA to facilitate a meeting between the Airline Operators of Nigeria and the unions. The goal was simple: to foster engagement and mutual understanding on this very fundamental issue.

We’re not talking about a favour or a courtesy; we are talking about a constitutional right: the right to associate and unionise. This is not a policy created by NAAPE. It is not a personal agenda of Galadima. It is enshrined in the Constitution and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. No airline has the authority to pick and choose which laws they will obey.

Despite persistent violations, we have maintained a civil approach, largely due to the assurances given by the Honourable Minister. But let it be known: compliance with labour laws is not optional.

Many employers seem unaware or choose to ignore the fact that some of their employees continue to pay union dues personally. They do this because they need protection. However, the law is clear! Union dues are to be deducted and remitted by the employer. We insist on compliance with this legal obligation.

Are members of NAAPE exclusively pilots, or both pilots and engineers?

Absolutely. In every branch where we are recognised, pilots and engineers are both active members, hence the name: National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers.

What is the issue with expatriate quotas?

We have raised this repeatedly. This is not new. There have been extensive investigations, even by journalists using Freedom of Information requests. The evidence is there, yet the authorities have remained silent.

Let’s be clear that NAAPE is not the enforcer of the law. We are a legal entity that respects and obeys the law. Our responsibility is to report infractions, and we have done so consistently. The responsibility to act lies with the regulators.

This is a critical industry with global implications. Disruption, while sometimes necessary, is not our preferred path. We have chosen engagement. But that engagement must lead to change.

The expatriate quota system is already captured in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Policy. It clearly states that no foreign personnel should be employed in roles where local capacity exists. There must be evidence justifying each quota approval. And these approvals must be time-bound and conditional on the training of Nigerian understudies.

Unfortunately, in many cases, no genuine understudy programmes exist. The government does not track them, and employers are left to circumvent the rules, often with impunity.

To the Minister of Interior, who is doing commendable work on this, we urge continued vigilance. When expatriate requests are submitted, are inspections conducted? Are the criteria for approvals being followed?

The laws exist, and the government is responsible for enforcement. The NCAA, in particular, must ask the right questions during licensing and endorsement processes. That’s why we have repeatedly called for the NCAA to maintain a real-time, comprehensive database. With that, the system will know which local professionals are available and prevent abuse of expatriate quotas.

We acknowledge that occasionally, local capacity may be lacking. That is acceptable but only within the two-year grace period mandated by law. After that, skills should have been transferred, and the expatriate must exit.

Now let’s talk about unruly passengers and your level of interventions on behalf of members.

Let it be noted that we have members across airlines, including ValuJet, one of the companies currently refusing to recognise the union. Despite this, some of their employees pay dues and attend our meetings. We have no fewer than nine members there.

When we intervene, it is not out of self-importance or to play busybody. It is in line with the core values of organised labour. As the saying goes, “An injury to one is an injury to all.” We will always stand by our members, especially our professionals, when their rights or dignity are under threat.

Conclusively, we are not asking for privileges. We are demanding compliance with existing laws. The aviation sector must not become a lawless space. We remain committed to dialogue and engagement, but let no one mistake our civility for weakness.