Aviation workers on strike, who on Tuesday interrupted operations in the nation’s airports, have threatened to completely shut down the airspace on next Wednesday if the government refuses to comply with their demands.
The workers, who had started a two-day warning strike on Monday, were singing songs of unity in front of a heavily guarded Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Comrade Abdulrarak Saidu, a unionist, expressed disappointment that nothing had been done in the previous eight years to ensure that the conditions of service were followed.
He also criticized the aviation minister for wishing to demolish parastatal and agency offices in Lagos State.
He asserts that the minister wants to lord it over the industry and put his agenda into law.
“Conditions of service were not implemented for eight years,” he claimed. Sirika assumes control over the governing bodies’ responsibilities. There is no system of checks and balances. They tried to force us to travel to Abuja for the conference, but we refused. No recommendations were made, and there was no real government meeting.
“He wants to destroy buildings in the sector for a roadmap that was not approved for Lagos. Even the one approved in Abuja for the aerotropolis nothing has happened there and he wants to turn his policy into law.
“When you are going in the next month, you want to pull down headquarters and leave nothing. After seven days, we want a total shutdown. We will try to cut Nigeria away from other countries.”
The NUATE Secretary-General, Ocheme Aba, exclusively told The Spectator in Abuja that the union had given the government until Friday to answer to their demands, following which they will convene and decide on the next course of action. He stated that the union had exhausted all other options and was willing to do whatever it took to ensure that their demands were realized.
“As we stated in our notice of strike, if our demands are not met, then an indefinite strike will be inevitable.
“We tend to give the government till Friday, and then by next week, if we do not hear anything, we will meet and agree on the next line of action,” he disclosed.
The unions are considering a complete shutdown of schools nationwide as they continue to call for better working conditions, according to Lucy Ukpen, the first vice president of NUATE and the union’s women’s leader.
She claims that the unions are evaluating the situation and will take the required actions if the government does not comply with their demand.
Ukpen said, “We are planning for a full shutdown.We are gaining access to everything. The leadership will carefully consider it, monitor the government’s response, and if necessary, activate it to prepare for a complete strike.
When asked when the indefinite strike would begin, she responded, “We cannot say because the association is made up of more than one union. Since the two-day warning strike is finished, we will gather, hold a meeting, and assess the government’s response. At that point, we would decide precisely what to do next.
Obiora Okonkwo, a spokeswoman for the Nigerian airline industry, highlighted that the strikes by aviation workers have had a negative effect on airline operations and its clients.
The strike, which started on Monday, had forced airlines to cancel and reschedule flights, seriously disrupting air travel.
“We are flying,” Okonkwo said, “except that it is stressful on the passengers and disruptive on the schedule. We hope they will come to a resolution for things to return to normal.”
The Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority have all had their offices shut down as a result of the ongoing industrial action by aviation unions in Lagos, Nigeria.
The secretaries general of five unions signed a two-day warning strike notice from aviation workers last week.
The Federal Government’s failure to reveal the reviewed condition of service that was negotiated more than seven years ago prompted the unions to threaten to stop providing their services.
Other complaints include the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s employees not receiving arrears and consequential adjustments for the National Minimum Wage since 2019.
The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, and the Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees are some of the aviation unions.
