Labour suspends showdown with Arik

Aviation unions have called off their industrial action against Arik Air following the intervention of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

This was revealed in a communique signed by the leadership of the unions, Arik Air management and a representative of the NCAA.

The unions had embarked on the joint strike following the airline’s failure to pay seven months’ salary arrears and other alleged “anti-labour practices”.

They had shut down the company’s flight operations at both the local and international wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, and also barricaded the airline’s corporate headquarters within the airport premises.

Ola Adebanji, spokesman of the airline, had called on the federal government and aviation stakeholders to prevail on the unions to let Arik off the hook.

The communique said the unions agreed to call off the strike after exhaustive deliberations with the management of Arik and the NCAA.

It said at the meeting, Arik agreed to pay the outstanding October salaries on or before Friday, while that of November would be paid on or before the last day of the year.

“The unions are to submit the acknowledged copies of the letters forwarding membership forms of their prospective members to the NCAA and NCAA shall forward same to the management of Arik Air to do the needful,” it read.

“A committee to review the circumstances of all laid-off employees, made up of one member from each union and Arik Air, was constituted, to be inaugurated on January 10, 2017.

“The Hawker fleet employees are exempted from the review.”

It added that parties resolved that Arik should resume operations forthwith upon signing the communiqué, and that no individual should be victimised as a consequence of the industrial action.