Aviation workers reject 20% deduction from agencies’ revenue, say sector in ‘coma’

Despite the federal government’s recent approval to reduce deductions from aviation agencies’ revenue from 50 percent to 20 percent, aviation workers have rejected the move — insisting that no deductions should be made.

In a memo on August 14, aviation union workers called on the federal government to discontinue the deduction of 50 percent in revenue generated by aviation agencies.

The workers had threatened to embark on a one-day strike protest on Wednesday, adding that agencies are “cost recovery, and not profit making organisations,” hence “cannot survive on half revenue”.

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, had also asked the unions to stay calm while their demands were being looked into.

Less than 48 hours after the unions’ threat, President Bola Tinubu approved the reduction of deductions in aviation agencies’ internally generated revenue (IGR) from 50 percent to 20 percent.

But speaking to TheCable on Wednesday, Olayinka Abioye, general secretary of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), said the unions are yet to get a circular on the implementation of the president’s directive.

According to Abioye, a letter had been sent to the minister to intervene before the end of the month.

“It is a fact that aviation trade unions issued a statement that by Wednesday today, we shall embark on a rally across Nigerian airports but intelligence report suggested it wouldn’t be a wise thing to do,” he said.

“So we commuted that rally into a letter to the Honorable Minister, giving the Minister until the end of this month to intervene on this subject matter by getting the federal government involved to reverse the reduction of 50% imposed on all aviation agencies for very critical reasons.

“One of which is the fact that fundamentally aviation agencies under the federal ministry of aviation and aerospace development are not profit-making companies. They are agencies involved in critical safety and security issues.

“There are cost recovery agencies. So we are not making profit from the businesses we do, from the services we render. And that 50% has created so much trauma for the workers.

“We have not seen an official statement to this effect. We have not been officially served any letter or circular to that effect. And if we had been served, we would also have sent another letter congratulating the federal government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the honorable minister for doing a good job. But that has not come.”

‘AVIATION INDUSTRY IS IN COMATOSE’

When asked if the reduction would go a long way, the union general secretary said the 20 percent deduction ought not to exist.

According to Abioye, the aviation industry “is in comatose” and only a quick intervention can reverse the challenges faced within the sector.

“There is no need, there is absolutely no reason for any kobo being removed from our finances, not to talk of 20 percent or 10 percent or 5 percent,” the general secretary said.

“The international statute is very clear on this. Aviation money should rotate and should be ploughed back into aviation.

“Whatever aviation makes must remain in aviation because all the agencies require funds regularly for maintenance of infrastructures, for provision of infrastructures, for training, and retraining. 

“One penny of that money should not be taken by the federal government, because the government has too much money, excesses, and that is why you see extravagances all over the place.

“In the midst of all this money flowing around, Nigerians are suffering. These are purely the issues.”

Abioye said the unions heard the appeal of the minister’s call for workers to remain calm, however, workers are “looking forward to the end of this month and expecting that something positive will come up”.