Ahead of the planned strike by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Nigerian Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), and the Engineers Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employers, the Management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) chapter, has urged passengers and stakeholders to make an alternative plan.
In a statement on Monday in Abuja which was covered by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the management stated that there was disruptions to flight operations and regretted actions.
“The management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, wishes to inform the general public of the aviation union’s planned two-day warning strikes scheduled to start Monday, April 17, 2023,” said FAAN.
“The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport management wishes to inform the general public that the airport will be opened for operation as usual. You may, however, wish to note that there may be disruptions in flight operations as a result of the planned strike action.”
FAAN urged passengers and stakeholders “to make contingency plans” to avoid missing appointments and said, “any inconvenience experienced is highly regretted.”
Meanwhile, the unions has made it clear that there was no going back on the shutdown of aviation activities in the country on Monday and Tuesday.
NAN reports that the Unions claimed that their demands, including the implementation of new minimum wage consequential adjustment with arrears for the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) since 2019 and the release of the reviewed conditions of service for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria and NIMET, have not been met despite issuing an ultimatum to the minister of aviation and the chief executive officers of the agencies.
In a notice to their members across airports and aviation agencies, the unions issued a two-day warning strike to press home their demands for workers’ entitlements.
Their demands include approval and implementation of the agreement condition of service, as agreed between them and the agencies by the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
Others are the non-implementation of minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NiMet since 2019, and the planned demolition exercise of all the agency buildings in Lagos by the Minister of Aviation for an airport city project.
The secretary general of the National Union of Transport Employees, NUATE, Ocheme Aba, said the unions wanted the immediate implementation of their demands.
