GPOC employees urge company to terminate contract with Kush Air
By Binia Elizabeth
The field staff of GPOC have unanimously and strongly rejected the current contract signed between GPOC Management and a third party in the name of Kush Air.
They also rejected any other local Air companies operating in South Sudan on the grounds of their safety.
This was resolved in the staff meeting held on Wednesday following the deadly plane crash that killed 20 passengers who were employees of the GPOC.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the field staff said GPOC must approach other reputable airlines such as Ethiopian, Kenyan, South African and other reputable flight companies that are known for their safety.
“GPOC top management should learn from the recent deadly plane crash that perished GPOC employees due to mechanical issues of the plane,” the statement said.
They urged the GPOC to ensure that any flight company that needs to be hired must thoroughly undergo verification processes and be fully inspected by professional experts in the aviation industry without due interference from GPOC management.
“Therefore, the findings found by the experts will be used as the basis for the contract issuance to that air company with GPOC.”
The GPOC staff further said that all contracting processes must be with the direct involvement of GPOC National Staff Union Representatives, GS, HSE, Security and HR departments to ensure that all stages of contract processes are well scrutinized
They also resolved that the Plane contracted must be strictly used for GPOC businesses. Not to be shared with other private businesses. “Once there is no crew change, it must be on standby, it further added that if the above conditions are not met, the field staff unanimously agreed that they must remain in their work locations, performing their duties normally.”
They continued that even if the flight is sent from Juba, they will never step their feet on that hired plane without considering the safety.
They said all booking processes from Juba and the field must be suspended until all the above conditions are met.