By Sunday Awosoro.
It was all jubilation, when the workers of Air Peace Airlines got salary increment from the management.
The Vent Republic gathered that the overly excited workers, who couldn’t contain their happiness, “danced around” the chairman and CEO of the airline, Allen Onyema, expressing their gratitudes.
The workers, who considering the negative impact of the Covid-19 and present economic clampdown, were not expecting such action, were awed by their bank alerts. While the “big earners” received minimum of 10 percent, some staff were given 100 percent increment.
Some of the workers said the benevolence surprising, being a period where other aviation related for are reducing salaries and cutting off workers.
The Cabin Services Manager, Florence Opiah sees the chairman as a “kind-hearted” person who “cares for the welfare of his workers”.
She said that “the increase even came at a time when we are not operating many flights. We used to operate 135 flights a day but now we operate relatively fewer flights and he still gave us such increase across board, to everybody. It was shocking. We could not believe it.
“The raise will boost the morale of the workers to dedicate themselves more to the company. There were even some workers who were contemplating going for greener pastures. I am sure they will stay back now and more people from other airlines will be pushing to come in. I will like to really thank our Chairman. We have been praying for him. God will continue to protect him. He remains a pacesetter. We can never take his kindness for granted,” she added.
When asked why it was done, the chairman explained:
“My motivation comes from God Almighty. I have told Nigerians and the world at large that I created Air Peace because of the love of my country, just to create jobs. I established Air Peace to create jobs and help my countrymen and women. The airline is not for me. I am looking forward to a Nigerian airline where the workers in generations to come will be able to say my great, great grandfather worked in Air Peace, my grandfather worked in Air Peace, my own father worked in Air Peace, here I am working for Air Peace.
“So it is the legacy that matters to me. I looked at the hardship around and everything, and I decided that whatever little we have, let’s push it back to the staff. It is very difficult now, we have about almost 20 planes stranded abroad, depleting our capacity to do what we know how to do best. Before Covid-19, we were doing about 135 flights day. Now we are doing about 40 to 45, yet I decided to recall every staff. Not only recalling every staff, four months ago, I restated them to pre-Covid-19 salaries. And now I decided that we should double their wages ranging from 10 per cent, to hundred per cent. Some people got 100 per cent increase, some others 80 per cent, depending on where the person’s grade is,” he said.