EXCLUSIVE: Lagos Airport Hotel, owned by S’West govts, sends 250 staff on 3-month leave without pay while owing 2 months’ salaries

Staff of Lagos Airport Hotel, about 250 of them, were sent home in March as the country began its lockdown to check the spread of COVID-19.

The Lagos Airport Hotel is owned by the six South West states of Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun through the Odua Investment Limited platform.

A text message sent to staff dated April 21 obtained by Ripples Nigeria, claimed it was a management decision. Our findings, however, showed it may have been the unilateral decision of the Managing Director, Mr. Kayode Bakare, executed through the Human Resources Manager, Mrs. Yemi Madu.

The workers were all home waiting for salary alerts when they received the devastating text message prolonging their anguish.

On April 21, 2020, the text message signed by Mrs. Madu, asked the 150 permanent staff and 100 casual staff to proceed on a compulsory three-month leave effective from May 1.

The affected workers had not been paid for March or April. And there was no communication regarding their pay even as the lockdown bit harder.

There was also no prior notification of staff or discussion with staff regarding the decision.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the staff were initially expectant of their salaries when asked to proceed on leave in March in compliance with the government’s lockdown directives.

The said text message read:

“NOTICE TO GO ON THREE MONTHS STAY BACK AT HOME WITHOUT PAY read: “We regret to inform you of the decision of the management for you to continue your stay at home after the leave for three months without pay till the company contacts you.

“This is due to the company’s present financial crisis and its future uncertainty in this prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. This decision was painful and we are sorry it has come to this. But we continue to hope for the best and wish you well.”

Only a few days ago, the federal government vowed to protect workers during the pandemic. In a move that had the prints of the federal government written all over it, the CBN halted the sack of workers within the banking sector.

Efforts to speak with the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Kayode Bakare did not yield much.

Read also: Atiku’s university sacks 400 staff days after his media company sacked 51

When a call was put through to his mobile line, the respondent claimed he was not Mr. Bakare.

However, the company’s HRM, Mrs. Madu denied the report.

She said: “There was nothing like that. But we have opened a discussion with the union and the matter has long been settled.”

The HRM declined to speak further on the form of agreement between both parties.

“It’s totally unfair that the decision was taken without our notice,” one of the members of staff who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by the management, said.

“We are still expecting March pay and suddenly we were asked to go home just like that. We have families to care for especially at this time,” he added.

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