Workers Insist on Training for NCAA Staff

The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) branch Chairman Shofolahan Ayodele has criticised the domesticating most of the training for agency personnel, which saves money and time.

Rather, Ayodele insisted that there was need for foreign training for workers of the organisation in order to be abreast with developments across the world.

Ayodele argued that foreign training can never be domesticated because besides the acquisition of skills and knowledge, the interaction the workers are exposed to overseas is also invaluable and forms part of the workers’ experience.

“We have told management on this issues that they are some trainings that cannot be domesticated because training does not only mean just doing training, you are exposed to a lot of things you are not seeing in this country, you interact, when you interact with your foreign partners you get a lot of things, we are regulators.

“We are working with management on that and have told management that that cannot be possible; any training that is meant to be done abroad must be done there,” Ayodele said.

He noted that as regulators, workers of the agency must be above board adding that ATSSSAN has told NCAA management that it was not possible to carry out foreign trainings locally.

“The foreign trainings is with the Ministry receiving urgent attention, NCAA will soon start going on foreign trainings and then professional trainings.

“A lot of people were denied last year but this year now we got the approval for everybody now professional bodies have come to stay and other areas of welfare like lack of working tools, we are working on that too, we are collaborating with management to get all those things,” he added.

He said before now NCAA did not have organogram.

“We took the matter up with management and management agreed that we can review the Organogram in conjunction with other unions but now presently with the Ministry, we are doing something about that so that other people will be able to be promoted to level 15.

“When I took over as ATSSSAN Chairman, there was problem with the condition of service but presently the matter is the Salaries and Wages Commission receiving quick attention and I have been going there to meet them, twice now and in the next two or three weeks, they will call us to,” he said. The International Air Transport Association ( IATA) has strengthened its relations with United Bank of Africa ( UBA) as partner as it migrates to the new payment plan for airlines, agencies and travellers.

By the end of the year, the Billing and Settlement Plan ( BSP), which was introduced in 2008, would be suspended while a more advanced system, known as New Generation of IATA Settlement System ( NewGen ISS) would be introduced.

UBA bided with other banks then and won the partnership with IATA and now the international organisation is migrating to the new system.

UBA was said to be the only bank in the country that has the manpower and the technology to seamlessly continue with the process.

So recently, the bank organised a workshop for travel agents and airlines in partnership with IATA on the new system to educate them on how the New Generation ISS works.

IATA said NewGen ISS is a program launched by IATA to deliver faster, safer and more cost effective and relevant financial settlement services and solutions to airlines and travel agents that rely on the IATA Settlement Systems ( ISS). It will do so by putting our customers at the heart of our operation.

“For airlines, NewGen ISS means faster settlement, safer funds and a lower cost of distribution. For travel agents, NewGen ISS will offer more personalized products and services, enhanced customer support and more cost- effective solutions. With the introduction of NewGen ISS, IATA will also provide an enhanced 24/ 7 customer support to better address the needs of airlines and agents,” IATA said.

The migration to the new system is slated for December 1, 2018. The new system is an improvement on the current Billing Settlement Plan ( BSP) system that UBA has operated for IATA for 10 years.

Head of UBA Aviation Desk, Bode Aregbesola who spoke at the event said, “As you all know UBA is the BSP Bank, that is the settlement bank for IATA and this is a very great thing the bank has achieved.

“What has happened here is that because of the partnership with IATA, UBA has now sponsored this programme, which is the NewGen ISS program. It is a new process that is happening in the industry and will kick off December 1, 2018 and there is a need for the general public to be enlightened, there is a need for the travel agents to be aware of the processes, the mode of payment because the landscape has changed.”

“Before now, what you have is a situation where the agents make payments bi- monthly through IATA and this payment is always settled by IATA. Now, with the NewGen ISS what it means is that the airlines can actually receive their monies on a daily basis and UBA can settle payments for the airlines on a daily basis.

“For the agents to be aware of this process, there is need for enlightenment and that is why the bank has now partnered with IATA to sponsor a workshop where the airlines, travel agents are informed of all the new processes so that going forward from December 1st they would be able to participate actively in the new process. “

He spoke on the benefit of the new system, “What we are saying is that the new dispensation is of immense benefits because for the travel agents because they can sell ticket more than they currently can in the present dispensation and the same thing for the banks, the bank will be able to settle more for the airlines. The bank has also created some products and it is an opportunity for the bank to offer these products to the agents so everybody is happy.”

The National Association Travel Agents ( NANTA) President, Bankole Bernard, who spoke at the event commended UBA for its support and value it has added so far in making BSP a success in Nigeria and expressed the confidence that the bank would ensure the success of the new system.

“The partnership with UBA has been one that has been waxing strong, the bank can improve on what it has done so far and take it to another level. So far they have been supportive and have been adding value to us.

“BSP was introduced into the market, this is 10years after and we are having a reintroduction of BSP on another level, that why it is called New Gen ISS New Generation of IATA Settlement Systems. This will address a lot of issues affecting us, the travel agents over the years. One of it is that we said, we don’t want it to be one side at all, categorise travel agents, they said it was not possible, but in this new system. it is possible.”