Aviation workers adamant over total shutdown of airports

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Aviation workers adamant over total shutdown of airports

As the two-day warning strike embarked upon by workers in the aviation sector entered the second day yesterday, the unions have threatened a complete shutdown of airport operations across the country, despite requests from the Federal Government that they sheathe their swords.

This is even as one of the unions involved in the strike yesterday dismissed the contention of the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, that aviation was an essential service and should, therefore not be involved in strike.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had in a statement, described the strike as unnecessary and displeasing, adding that the issues of poor working conditions raised by the unions could be dealt with in-house.

Our correspondents, who visited the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, in Abuja, the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos and other airports nationwide yesterday, observed that many passengers were stranded as a result of the strike.

Specifically, the striking workers had closed down the check-in halls which, however, hugely reduced movements and caused long queues.

For the air passengers, the situation was unpalatable, as many of them were seen venting their anger over the disruption of airport activities.

One of the passengers who simply identified himself as Haruna Adamu said the strike was necessary but noted that it should have been done in a manner that allowed for the continuity of airport operations.

He said: “I don’t have any issue with people expressing dissatisfaction when they are not treated right but how you express your problem matters a lot.

”These guys have not done well with halting scheduled fights because many of us here have very important places and meetings to catch up with.

”As it stands, I can’t go anywhere, and I was hopeful that everything will go seamlessly but here I am not sure of my movement.”

The General Secretary, of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, Sikiru Waheed, told journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, in Abuja, that the next step was to completely shut down airports across the country should the federal government fail to yield to the union’s demands.

Meanwhile, one of the unions involved in the two-day warning strike, the National Union of Air Transport Employers, NUATE, yesterday described as fallacy claims by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, that aviation was an essential service industry that should not embark on strike.

The General Secretary of the union, Ocheme Aba, stated this on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, yesterday.

The minister had in January 2023, said with the new Act of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, industrial actions were illegal, saying aviation had been classified as an essential service.

But Aba dismissed the minister’s contention yesterday, saying “The meeting of Sunday with the government was deadlocked because nobody could give a guarantee of when the Conditions of Service for the agencies will be released. So, we were also unable to give any assurances of not going on strike.

“However, we understand that the Salaries and Wages Commission has also convened another meeting with the agencies today (yesterday). We are not invited to the meeting, so we don’t know what discussions are ongoing and how they will be relevant to the situation at hand.

“Secondly, with regards to aviation being an essential service provider, this is a fallacy, it’s not correct at all.

“The International Labour Organisation, through its official instrument of action, has already defined what essential service is and has also clearly defined that aviation is not an essential services provider, except the services provided through air traffic control.”

He defined an essential service provider as one through which its withdrawal can affect the lives of groups of people.

“Aviation does not provide such service except through air traffic control. For example, if an air traffic controller says airplane should not land, you might be putting to risk the people who are in the aircraft.

”But when you say aircraft should not take off, you are not putting anybody’s life at risk and the services that airlines provide is not different from the services Ekene Dilichukwu or any transport company provides,” the NUATE scribe said.

Aba also said the National Industrial Court had ruled that aviation and airlines do not render essential services.

“Nigerian doctors have been constantly going on strike without any talk about essential services. So, this talk about essential services is neither here nor there,” he insisted.