As the Labour unions in the country’s aviation sector have ended their two-day warning strike embarked upon on Monday, April 17 and 18, 2023, to give the government another opportunity to grant their requests ranging from implementation of commensurate salary upgrades to stoppage of the plans to demolish the Lagos head offices of the agencies, the federal government is already feeling uncomfortable with the outcome of the warning strikes.
The unions consisting of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Association of National Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) branch, embarked on the two days struggle following the failure of the government to meet their requests.
The actions taken by the protesting unions in conjunction with the aviation workers from the aviation agencies across the airports led to serious consequences which inflicted heavy losses on the airlines and other allied businesses as the unions blocked all entrances leading to the airports.
Many of the union leaders who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune have accused the minister of running a one man show without respecting the views of other stakeholders in the sector.
Speaking with journalists at the Lagos airport, the Secretary General of the Association of National Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrazaq Saidu attributed the chaotic situation in the sector to the minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika’s high handedness towards the plights of the aviation workers.
The actions of the minister Saidu said had created serious crises saying: “For the past seven years, governing boards of directors in all the parastatals, none, we challenge the minister of aviation because Buhari’s administration nominated these boards but he refused to inaugurate them, why? to perpetuate corruption, we challenge him even to an open debate, this is one of the issues we are fighting”.
Though the warning strikes have ended, but indications have emerged that the government may be confronted with a serious international embarrassment in the coming days as the unions have given the government till April 21, 2023 to address the yearnings of the workers vowing that failure to do so may lead to total shutdown of aviation sector.
Among the requests of the unions include call for the release of the reviewed condition of service of workers as earlier negotiated, halt to demolition of agencies building and the implementation of the new minimum wage consequential adjustments and payment of arrears for NiMet staff.
According to the unions: “The Condition of Service (CoS) we have has expired about 13 years ago and the salaries and wages commission are sitting on it and to add insult on injury, the minister is bent on forceful relocation of our members and demolishing the headquarters of FAAN, NAMA and NCAA in Lagos, would we have regional offices in Lagos? The bulk of economy activities in Nigeria is in Lagos. Lagos airport is the hub in Nigeria. The AIB that was demolished over a year ago, what have they used it for? You see, we have a tranny of the people in authority, very, very few of them, that is what they are enjoying and that is why they refused to inaugurate governing board of directors for our parastatals. We are going to continue with this, after this warning strike, if they fail to heed to our demands, we don’t mind continuing with this until after the swearing in of the new administration”.
Speaking at the end of the two days warning strike, the Secretary General of NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba said, they have exhausted all options on the issues hence the next line of action of the unions would be total.
The unions while addressing the workers at the end of the strikes in front of the new terminal building at the Lagos international airport gave the government up till April 21to respond to their demands or be prepared to welcome an indefinite strike which will will lead to withdrawal of services form both international and domestic flights as the airspace will be shutdown.
According to the unions: “At this point we wait for government and its agencies particularly salaries, incomes and wages commission, the head of the civil service of the federation to do the needful in respect to the condition of service, outstanding for agencies and also the ministry of finance as regards payment of the consequential adjustments for NiMet and if we don’t get anything, instead of warning strike which had already been done, we will now have an indefinite strike. The format, shape of that strike, we will sit down and take a decision and we will wait till friday this week and if we don’t hear anything, by monday we will be meeting to decide our next line of action”. he said.
While describing the just concluded two-day warning strike as successful, Comrade Aba appealed to the relevant authorities to avert the impending indefinite strike to avoid cutting off Nigeria from the rest of the world by air.
The statement issued by the ministry of aviation through the head, press and public affairs, Odutayo Oluseyi, has however further complicated issues as the statement described the warning strikes as unnecessary with the warning to view seriously any behavior by any union that is likely to lead to a breakdown of law and order at the airports.
Many stakeholders who reacted the statement from the ministry accused the officials at the ministry of provoking the unions to taking more harsh decisions.
The Treasurer, NUATE, Comrade Safiya Araga said, they have been pushed to the wall, they have been listening but the minister had failed to listen to them and it is unfair.
“We are not deterred, the ministry cannot threaten us with various press releases, we have rights to ask for our welfare. For upward of 13 years CoS are still lying down there, we have appealed, we have met several times committees to resolve these issues but we cannot be pinned down, we are asking all our demands be met”.
To prevent a total shutdown of the country’s airspace come April 21, the federal government through the director general of the Nigerian Civik Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuru has waded into the confusion.
The DG who appealed to the unions to show understanding as efforts are on to meet their demands through a statement signed by spokesperson of the regulatory body, Sam Adurogboye, listed the efforts he had made to resolve the problems.
According to the DG: “Conveying series of meetings with the union members, starting from last Sunday 16th April, 2023 and another to be held today, Tuesday, 18th April, 2023 with the Salary and Wages Commission along with all Aviation Agencies Chief Executive Officers and their Heads of Finance Department.
“The meeting with the Salaries and Wages Commission is for the examination of their various account books with a view to determining whether or not the increases in salaries being demanded could be accommodated in their various Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs)”.
He assured the outcome of the meeting will be forwarded to the Head of Service of the Federation for consideration and approval.
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