The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Passengers stranded

  • Passengers stranded as unions disrupt operations at MMA2

    HUNDREDS of passengers were yesterday stranded at the Terminal Two  of Murtala Muhammed Airport ( MMA2) for several hours as aviation unions laid siege to the terminal.

    From 5.30a.m. to about 2.00p.m., protesting members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) blocked the entrance into the terminals to prevent airlines from operating.

    The union members blocked the entrance to the terminal with their vehicles, occasioning gridlock on the busy Airport Road .

    The presence of security operatives, including the policemen and Air Force men did not deter them, as they sang solidarity songs.

    Many passengers that arrived at the terminal for early morning flights were disappointed, as some could not access the terminal to begin check in formalities for their journey.

    But, some passengers forced their way through to get on board some flights operated by Dana Air.

    Corporate Communications Manager, Dana Air Kingsley Ezenwa said over 110 passengers missed the airline’s first flight out of MMA2.

    The airline had to make alternative arrangements to operate from the General Aviation Terminal.

    Ezenwa said the unions’ action caused the airline to lose significant revenue . He added that some of the 110 passengers that missed the first flight out of Lagos had the news about the protest at MMA2 and did not show up at the airport.

    The protesting unions’ members prevented passengers going to board their early morning flights and also airline officials and people with businesses inside the terminal from gaining access to the premises.

    The protest  caused heavy vehicular traffic around the airport area, a situation, which spiraled to some parts of Ikeja and the Agege Motor Road.

    Speaking in an interview, Bi- Courtney Aviation Services Limited spokesman Steve Omolale said the protesting unions have violated a restraining order preventing them from carry out the action.

    But normal flight operations went on at the GAT, where Arik  Air and Air Peace operate from.

    On Tuesday  ,  the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos granted an order restraining the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) from disrupting the operations at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2).

    The court  granted the order following the suit filed by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of MMA2.

    The unions had given notice that they would disrupt operations at MMA2 from yesterday over the disengagement of some workers of BASL for their alleged attempt to join the unions.

    But, the company said the workers had attained retirement age or were found not to be diligent in their duties.

    Disengaging the ex-employees, Omolale said  had nothing to do with unionism.

    “In as much as we know that the unions have the right to protest without disturbing public peace and safety, we too reserve the right to ensure that our operations and services are not interrupted in any way whatsoever.”

    General Secretary, ATSSSAN Francis Akinjole said: “This issue has been on since May when these workers were sacked because they wanted to join unions. We met the management asking them to reinstate these workers and recognise their rights to join unions, but they refused.”

    Meetings to resolve the matter amicably between the management of the MM2 and the unions by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority NCAA have failed.

  • Passengers stranded as workers disrupt airline’s operations

    MANY  passengers were stranded yesterday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos when aviation workers disrupted the operations of Kenyan Airways. The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has been battling the airline for alleged poor workers’ welfare.

    Placard-carrying members of the union stormed the airline’s counters at the airport terminal to ground its operations. The union hoisted the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) flag at the counters in furtherance of its action.

    It said it took the action because of the airline’s alleged failure to meet the workers’ demands.

    Last week, NUATE gave the airline an ultimatum to comply with its demands.

    In a statement by its General Secretary,  Olayinka Olu Abioye,  the union said it had waited over the months for the airline to respond to its  demands  and also implement the collective bargaining agreement with NUATSE. The union claimed that the airline did not respond to its request.

    The union appealed to passengers for their understanding, saying : ‘’We hereby appeal to all intending passengers and other airport users and partners to bear with the workers and their union as they embark on this industrial action for the safety and security of all parties’’.

    It added : ‘’As you all know a disgruntled worker is an accident waiting to happen and  we intend to prevent that.”

  • Arik Air resumes flights after resolution of crisis

    Arik Air resumes flights after resolution of crisis

    ARIK Air resumed flights yesterday 17 hours after its operations were grounded nationwide by three aviation unions.
    The unions were National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN).
    The resolution of the impasse followed intervention by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
    The meeting, which was attended by representatives of the unions and owner of the airline, Sir Arumemi Ikhide, at NCAA headquarters, was chaired by the authority’s Director of Operations and Training, Captain Abdulahi Sidi.
    It was agreed the airline should resume operations.
    In a communique, it was resolved that Arik Air pay outstanding October and November salaries before the end of year.
    The unions were asked to submit acknowledged copies of the letters forwarding membership forms of their prospective members to the NCAA and forward same to the management of Arik Air.
    The communique reads: “A committee to review the circumstances of all laid off employees, made up of one member from each union and Arik was constituted to be inaugurated on January 10, 2017 .
    “The Hawker fleet employees are exempted from the review.”
    The workers were protesting alleged failure by the airline to allow its workers to join unions, and unpaid arrears of seven months.
    Amid tight security, the unions barricaded entrance of the airline’s headquarters in Lagos, singing solidarity songs and displaying placards.
    At the domestic wing, hundreds of passengers were stranded.
    Conservative estimate puts Arik Air loss at N2.5 billion, which would have accrued from ticket sales on its over 100 daily domestic flights.
    At the international wing, regional flights in the early hours were affected.
    Thousands of passengers, at several airports nationwide, were affected by the protest.
    The protesters displayed placards, some inscribed with: “Arik owes staff seven months’ salary”, “Defaults in taxes and other statutory deductions”, “Criminalises trade unionism and union membership: Sacking union executives at will”, “No salary, no flight Arik Air”, “Modern slavery/ apartheid in Arik Air: We say no to slavery”, “Every worker has the right to protection against unjustified dismissal in accordance with union laws and national laws and practices”, among others.
    Some workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they had been putting up with anti-labour practices for a long time and “this is just the climax”.
    Addressing reporters, NUATE’s General Secretary Mr. Olayinka Abioye said: “This is a long awaited strike in the sense that several months back, we initiated industrial action against Arik management and they quickly invited us to a meeting to sort out some of these things. It seems the man that was asked to interface between management and labour failed.
    “We felt we need to cry to higher authorities in Nigeria to save our souls. We cannot imagine that there would be an airline in the country’s aviation industry that would be owing workers for seven months and nobody cares about it…”
    He added, among others, that those who joined the unions were being sacked without due regard to labour law.
    “We are calling for their re-instatement and payment of staff salaries before we start any discussion with management.”
    In a statement by the airline’s spokesman, Mr. Adebanji Ola, Arik Air said the union leadership earlier writte the management of Arik Air on their grievances and a meeting was scheduled between the two parties today.
    “The unions, however, did not wait for the meeting or outcome of the meeting before embarking on such disruptive and strong-arm tactics against the airline.”

  • Passengers stranded as Aero Airlines’ staff go on strike

    Passengers stranded as Aero Airlines’ staff go on strike

    Hundreds of passengers were yesterday stranded at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos as Aero Airlines’ workers embarked on strike.

    The Nation learnt that some of the passengers are contemplating taking legal action against the airline for making them miss their flights.

    They described the action by the airline as unpatriotic, saying that it airline only notified them that the flights were rescheduled.

    As early as 5.00 am, some passengers that arrived the Murtala Mohammed Airport Two (MMA 2), Ikeja, Lagos were disappointed that the airline was not operating any flight and did not give any notice of the industrial action by its staff.

    Some of the passengers that besieged the head office of the airline, said the carrier did not give a true picture of the development to passengers. As a result, they could not make alternate arrangement, forcing them to miss their appointments.

    At the new domestic terminal, scores of passengers sat on the floor, lost in thought on how to get to their destinations. They expressed sadness over the failure by the airline to effect refund of their air fare to enable them fly other airlines.

    One of the passengers who identified herself as Dr. Caro Iwuoha , said the passengers will institute a class action against the airline for the breach of passengers’ rights, which she said is unacceptable in other parts of the world.

    Another passenger, Ibezito Ogbona, said the dislocation occasioned by the workers’ strike has altered his travel plans, forcing him to fly through Abuja, to get another flight to Sokoto.