Twenty Nigerian cabin crew staff recently laid off by Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd have instituted a N5 billion suit against the Airline at the National Industrial Court, Lagos Division.
The aggrieved workers are; Genevieve Mordi, Umo Akinselure, Lukman Yusuf, Ekaete Victor-Iyamu, Victoria Enyi, George Ezemba, James Ajayi, Rosemary Ogbor, Babajide Akinyele and Remilekun Lashebikan.
Others are: Yewande Salau, David Dagat, Babafemi Oshifeko, Babatunde Olamuye, Juliet Ezumba, Rachel Ideho, Ademola Olowolade, Imelda Blankson, Halimat Odeyemi and Tolumilade Sogbesan.
Joined as co-respondent in the suit is the Aviation Logistics and Management Ltd.
In a motion on notice filed by them through their lawyer, Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), the claimants are seeking for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the respondents from laying them off or giving effects to the notice of termination of employment served on them pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
They are also seeking the suspension of the notice of termination of employment served on them pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The claimants are also asking sacked workers file N5bn suit against Virgin Atlantic Airways for an order of the court directing the respondents to pay them the sum of N5billion as damages for the act of discrimination against them.
They were all laid off on November 30, 2015, following an internal memo issued by the Executive Vice President, Customer, of the Airline, Jill Brady.
In the memo, it was disclosed that the provision of cultural expertise which was the primary purpose of employing the claimants was no longer required by the Airline on its Lagos-London route.
However, in a 36-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion on notice which deposed to by one of the claimants, Akinselure, he stated that they (claimants) were not informed by the respondents that the sole reason for their employment was to provide cultural expertise in respect the Airline’s flight operations on the Lagos-London route.
It was further averred that no survey was ever conducted by the Airline which revealed that the cultural expertise provided by the claimants in respect of its Lagos-London route is no longer required.
The deponent averred that the Airline’s intention to terminate the employment of the claimants was based solely on their race, color and social extraction.
It was further stated that the Airline has consistently and persistently taken actions which are discriminatory, oppressive and detrimental to the interest of the claimants as Nigerians and Nigeria as a country.
The Lagos-London route was said to be the most commercially viable and most profitable route for the Airline.
Original article can be found here: http://nationalmirroronline.net
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