Local and international flights are grounded in Nigeria Monday as unions in the aviation sector commence a two-day warning strike over non-release of their reviewed Condition of Service negotiated with four aviation agencies over seven years in addition to the planned demolition of Lagos offices of some agencies.
Members of the unions have blocked entrance to the Murtala Muhammad Airport domestic terminal, leaving many passengers stranded.
The strike is also taking place in all airports across in Nigeria, leaving many passengers stranded. Many of the passengers were seen trekking to the airport as the unions blocked exit to the domestic terminal one and the MMA2.
Last week, the Secretary Generals of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Ocheme Aba, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Frances Akinjole, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), AbdulRasaq Saidu, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Sikiru Wahab and the Deputy General Secretary of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) Umoh Ofonime, signed a notice for the two-day strike, saying they had earlier issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika on the same issue since February 7, 2023 to no avail.
The unions warned that failure to meet their demands after the two day warning strike, will be followed by an indefinite strike.
The Unions grouse included Non-implementation of minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) since 2019, refusal of the Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, (NSIWC) and Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, (OHCSF) to release the reviewed Condition of Service of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMeT) as negotiated betwee as duly conveyed by the Federal Ministry of Aviation since upwards of nine years.
However, on Sunday, heads of the agencies held a zoom meeting with the national leaders of the unions and pleaded with them to convince their members to shelve the strike, pointing out the devastating impact an strike action will have on the industry.
They also promised to ensure that the demands of the unions are met, with the Director General of NiMet, Mansur Matazu, assuring that the structural adjustment will take effect when staff receive their April salaries.
At the emergency meeting hosted by the DG of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, which had human resource directors of the agencies present and also the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, the union leaders expressed disappointment that the promises made over a year ago after negotiations between the unions and the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, were not kept.
When the issue of the planned demolition of the NCAA, FAAN and NAMA offices in Lagos, came up, the representative of Ministry of Aviation assured that no demolition would take place until the relocation allowance is paid to every affected staff, assuring that no worker would be made redundant.
Airlines have also been very apprehensive of the effect the strike would have on their operations as many of them have been frantically reaching out to the union leaders for a resolution.
Many airlines were initially hopeful that the meeting would he able to resolve the issues the unions have with the Federal Government.
But the Deputy General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Comrade Frances Akinjole in a short interview with our correspondent last night after the meeting said, “As I am talking to you, nothing has changed. If you don’t hear anything from the General Secretary, the strike continues.”
He later followed up with a text message, saying, “The strike goes as planned.”
A top Airline Chief who spoke with our correspondence said, “We are hopeful that it would be resolved later tonight, otherwise we are carrying on as if everything is going to be normal because you can’t stop your operation.”
