Nigerian Cabin crew sue Virgin Atlantic Airways over ‘unjust’sack’

The 20 Nigerian cabin crew members recently laid off by Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd has slammed a N5billion suit on the Airline at the National Industrial Court, Lagos Division.

Joined as co-respondent in the suit is the Aviation Logistics and Management Ltd.

In a motion on notice filed through their counsel, 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.

They are equally seeking 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.

The 20 cabin crew members included: 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.

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 was deposed to by one of the plaintiffs, Umo Akinselure, it was averred that the claimants were never informed by any of the respondents that the sole reason for their employment was to provide cultural expertise in respect of the Airline’s flight operations on the Lagos-London route.