- •Normalcy returns to airports
By Kelvin Osa Okunbor and Faith Yahaya, Abuja
Full operations resumed yesterday at the nation’s airports following the suspension a two-day warning strike by aviation unions.
The intervention of top officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Salary and Wages Commission and aviation agencies was said to have led to the temporary stoppage of strike which commenced on Monday.
The aviation unions had last week announced the warning strike to press home their demand for the immediate release of the reviewed Condition of Service of their members, implementation of the minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) since 2019
They also want the stoppage of the planned demolition of aviation’s agency buildings in Lagos by the Ministry of Aviation for an airport city project called aerotropolis.
The unions are the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees.
Before the strike was suspended, a handful of the unions’ members at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, were about to barricade the roads leading to the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) and MMA2 as early 7am
They, however, dispersed after about 30 minutes on getting signal that their leaderships, the aviation agency chiefs and the wages commission had agreed to meet. Details of the meeting was unknown as of press time.
Although normal flights from the terminals resumed at about 9am, offices of the Ministry of Aviation in Lagos, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) were under lock and key.
Spokesperson for the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Obiora Okonkwo, said he hopes the parties would come to an agreement.
“We are flying,” Okonkwo said, “except that it is stressful on the passengers and disruptive of our schedules. We hope they will come to a resolution for things to return to normal.”
Director-General of the NCAA Captain Musa Nuhu, had in a statement explained that the outcomes of the meeting between the unions’ leaderships, aviation chiefs and the wages commission would be forwarded to the Head of Service of the Federation for consideration and approval.
In the statement by CA’s Spokesman, Sam Adurogboye, Nuhu pleaded for more time and understanding of the unions General-Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) was later seen in a video apologising to the public, especially air travellers, for the inconveniences they experienced as a result of the strike.
Akinjole, however, warned that the unions would restrategise if the Federal Government failed to come up with a considerable solution.
His words: “A meeting was slated today (yesterday) with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and board members of various agencies. We are expecting the outcome but we can never be disappointed because we know what it is going to be.
“We pray that whatever report is brought will be favourable so that this whole problem would be permanently resolved.
“We are satisfied with the two-day warning which is just a sensitisation exercise to inform Nigerians. If we do not get a good response, we would go back to our drawing board and determine the next line of action.”
Secretary-General of NUATE Ocheme Aba threatened that the unions would embark on indefinite work boycott from next week if the government failed to meet their demands.
He said: “As we stated in our notice of strike, if our demands are not met, then an indefinite strike will ensue. We intend to give the government till Friday, and then by next week, if we do not hear anything, we will meet and agree on the next line of action.”
NUATE’s First Vice -President, NUATE, Lucy Ukpen, said the union was considering total shutdown of airports across the country.
“We are planning full shutdown. We are assessing the whole thing, the leadership will look at it carefully and see the response from the government and if need be, we would go for full strike then we will activate it,” Ukpen added.