We lost N7bn due to nationwide strike, says air cargo operators

The Domestic Airports Cargo Agents Association (DACAA) says about N7 billion was lost due to the suspension of cargo operations during the two-day nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Ikpe Nkanang, chairman of the board of trustees of DACAA, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

Nkanang said with around 30 tonnes of cargo transported daily through the country’s domestic airports, the volume of cargo left unprocessed during the strike was significant.

He said a significant amount of cargo had been prepared for shipment before the commencement of the strike.

“For those two days, the airlines were not working, and once the airlines are not working, cargo cannot move, and it is a great loss to all of us,” Nkanang said.

“You needed to see the volume of cargo that was dumped over those two days; of course, you know we gathered cargoes during the weekend hoping that by Monday and Tuesday, we would be able to send them out. 

“It was a colossal loss to us in the cargo world, it affected our income and, of course, the economy of the country. 

“For those few hours of the strike, the country lost about N7 billion across all local airports.”

According to the chairman, transporting a kilogram of cargo costs N300.

Nkanang advised the government to promptly reach an agreement with organised labour to prevent the resumption of the strike.

On June 3, NLC and TUC embarked on a nationwide strike over the federal government’s refusal to increase the minimum wage from N60,000.

In the aviation sector, domestic airlines were unable to operate as airports were shut down. 

The industrial action paralysed economic and government activities across the nation for two days.

The nationwide shutdown, including an electricity blackout, prompted the federal government to meet with NLC and TUC representatives on Monday evening.

This meeting led to the unions suspending the strike on Tuesday for one week.

The suspension was based on the promise by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to agree to a new minimum wage exceeding N60,000.