Again, aviation unions declare strike over ‘poor welfare’

Three labour unions in the aviation sector have announced their intention to embark on a two-day warning strike.

The strike is to protest the government’s “failure to fulfil its promise to implement minimum wage consequential adjustment in the aviation parastatals since 2019, as well as the non-approval/release of the reviewed conditions of service in the parastatals since 2013”.

The unions are the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).

In a statement, the unions said the strike would commence on May 9.

The statement was jointly signed by Ocheme Aba, NUATE general secretary; Abdulrazaq Saidu, ANAP general secretary; and Sikiru Waheed, AUPCTRE general secretary.

The unions directed their members working in aviation agencies such as the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NiMET) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) to comply with the industrial action.

They said efforts by the ministry of aviation and the National Salaries, Incomes And Wages Commission (NSIWC) to resolve the issues have not been positive.

The unions further threatened that if nothing concrete comes up after the warning strike, they would declare a total strike.

In February, the unions had notified airlines and the general public of withdrawal of air travel services in protest against poor welfare and unimplemented agreements.

Following intervention by the federal government, the industrial action was suspended.

Meanwhile, the development comes hours after domestic airlines announced plans to shut down flight operations from Monday over the hike in fuel price.