NCAA Brokers Truce in Aviation Workers’ Two-day Warning Strike

Chinedu Eze

The Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA), Captain Musa Nuhu has waded into the two-day warning strike by aviation workers which ended yesterday, pleading with the unions to suspend the industrial action.

 On the second day, the unions walked from the domestic terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and ended it at the new international terminal where they addressed the workers, saying that if their requests were not met by the federal government, they would shut down the airspace in a week’s time.

 On the second day of the industrial action however, flights were also not disrupted and there were no delays caused by the activities of the unions both at the international and domestic terminals. Even when the workers did their road work, they made sure it did not affect vehicular traffic, as they walked through the link road between the domestic and international terminals of the airport.

 However, the NCAA in a statement signed by its General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye, disclosed that the DGCA held series of meetings with the union members, starting from last Sunday April 16, 2023, and another yesterday, with the Salary and Wages Commission along with all Aviation Agencies Chief Executive Officers and their Heads of Finance Department in attendance.

According to the NCAA, the objective of the meeting with the Salaries and Wages Commission was for the examination of the various account books of the agencies with a view to determining whether or not the increases in salaries being demanded could be accommodated in their various Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs).

Nuhu, said the outcome of the meeting would be forwarded to the Head of Service of the Federation for consideration and approval and pleaded for more time and understanding of the unions.

On passengers’ delay and refund of airfares whenever flights are delayed or cancelled, the DGCA explained that such situations have been taken care in the ongoing amendment of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2015.

 The aviation workers Union had on Monday, embarked on a two-day warning strike that witnessed workers locked out at the various offices of the agencies and disruption to flight movement nationwide.

Their demands included approval and implementation of the agreement Condition of Service (CoS) 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 were non-implementation of minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for 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 unions that went on the strike included 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), the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical (AUPCCST) and Recreation Services Employees