Stakeholders in the nation’s aviation industry are becoming more worried, following a series of strikes embarked upon mostly by the workers’ unions at the nation’s airports. Key aviation unions involved in the disturbing development include: the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCCSTRSE)
In recent times, labour strikes and protests are becoming a recurring decimal in Nigeria’s aviation industry with passengers stranded and many businesses at various airports in the country recording losses on every occasion.
Aviation business is a very sensitive one. Whenever workers go on strike, flight operations are disrupted and passengers stranded at different airports across the country.
A few weeks ago, there was a similar challenge at all the airports in the country because the labour unions embarked on a two-day warning strike in protest against the government’s unwillingness to implement an improved welfare package for the workers of aviation agencies.
The workers union had earlier announced that they would embark on strike from April 17 to 18, 2023 over the Federal Government’s plan to demolish the Lagos offices of aviation parastatals and the delay to review workers’ Condition of Service, (CoS) as negotiated between the unions and four aviation agencies seven years ago.
Other reasons given for the strike include the non-implementation of minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) since 2019. In the notice of a two-day warning strike to workers of all aviation agencies and signed by the secretaries-general of the five unions, they insisted that if the warning strike failed, an indefinite strike would ensue.
The unions which signed the notice said they had earlier issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Minister of Aviation on February 7, 2023, on the same matter.
According to the notice, the ultimatum had since expired and nothing tangible had been yielded from their efforts.
”Recall that our unions issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Honourable Minister of Aviation and specific aviation parastatals on February 7, 2023, over the following demands: non-implementation of minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet)since 2019, refusal of the Salaries, Income & Wages Commission, NSIWC and Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHCSF), to release the reviewed Condition of Service (CoS) of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), as negotiated between our unions and the Agencies, and as duly conveyed by the Federal Ministry of Aviation since upwards of nine years.
“The ultimatum has since expired and our efforts and that of the Ministry of Aviation have yielded nothing tangible. Furthermore, it has become evident that the Minister of Aviation remains adamant in carrying out his threat to demolish the headquarters of FAAN, NAMA, and NCAA in Lagos, despite all our entreaties towards caution.
“In view of the foregoing and unless the demands are met, NiMeT consequential adjustment is implemented and the arrears paid, the CoS for NAMA, NCAA, NCAT, and NiMeT is immediately released and the Minister’s demolition exercise is halted, all aviation workers are hereby directed to withdraw all services in the sector on April 17 and 18, 2023 as warning strike. Should the warning strike fail to achieve the desired results, an indefinite strike shall ensue. All workers should comply and all state councils and branch exco members shall enforce this directive without compromise,” the notice said.
Not pleased with the rate at which the unions embark on strikes, the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has expressed sadness over the incessant strikes spearheaded by trade unions in the sector.
Sirika said that the Ministry of Aviation and the various managements in the sector had been working harmoniously with the unions since the government came onboard in 2015 and wondered why some of the associations were embarking on strike at this time.
Sirika stated these during a recent forum organised by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the Joint Aviation Trade Unions Forum (JATUF).
Sirika, who was represented at the conference by Mrs. Nkechi Nwokocha, the Director, Human Resource Management, Federal Ministry of Aviation, said the minister had over the years been working with the unions to develop the sector.
Rather than embark on strikes, Sirika called for dialogue between the management and the unions to resolve industrial matters in the sector. He insisted that there should be a paradigm shift from the unions on how they deal with the government, insisting that the sector could only witness growth when all parties work in unison.
He said: “The minister is very pained that the unions are coming up with the issue of strikes at this time that he’s about to leave the office. He has been working with the unions over the years, but he feels the unions want to rubbish all he has done over the years with them with these strikes.
“You (unions) need a paradigm shift on how you deal with the government on any critical issues at hand. Whenever the unions move with the government, there will always be positive results. We are partners in progress. A good working environment will cause workers to deliver their best.”
Earlier, Engr. Abednego Galadima, the President, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), at the same forum also said that it was necessary for all organisations in the sector to measure up with the developments in the global aviation industry.
Galadima also said that for unions to continue to be relevant in the sector, they need to adopt innovations by leveraging latest technologies in the sector. He further canvassed for democracy in critical decisions making by the unions and aviation agencies and appealed to private organisations in the sector not to take the unions as rivals, but as partners in progress.
He added: “Unions need to strategise their financial capacity to enable us to render help to members and not necessarily going to organisations for help.
“The leadership conference is an opportunity to train union leaders. We want leadership that will evolve with strategic alliance, partnership and collaboration. This has to be sustained among the unions.”
Also, Comrade Kabir Gusau, the President, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) called on the government to always honour agreements.
Talking on the recent two-day warning strike, which paralysed activities in the sector, Gusau pointed out that the unions were pushed to the wall by the government to take the action.
He decried that the government over the years had continued to treat issues affecting the workers with levity.
He informed that a meeting between the government and the unions had been slated for May 9, 2023 in Abuja to resolve all the challenges associated with the Condition of Service (CoS) and other welfare issues with their members.
He hoped that a fruitful agreement would be reached with both parties to prevent another breakdown of laws and others in the sector.
Besides, Engr. Akin Olateru, the Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), advised the unions to be disruptive in moving the sector forward.
According to him, it was necessary for the unions to think out of the box in moving the industry forward and improving on the welfare of their members.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
