Aviation workers threaten to cripple airports operation over poor welfare

Air travel will be grounded from February 8, 2022, as several umbrella bodies of Aviation workers will down tools in protest against poor welfare and unimplemented agreements before the Federal Government.

In a statement jointly signed by National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), the one week window was given to enable aviation companies table the workers’ demand before the FG.

Other unions partaking in the strike include Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN).

Non-implementation of Minimum Wage/Consequential Adjustment agreed on in 2019 and failure to release negotiated Conditions of Service of the Agencies since 2013 are some of the issues fuelling the strike.

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It was gathered that on January 31, 2021, the unions’ ultimatums to the aviation agencies of Nigeria expired, and the government didn’t meet the demands, and even the meeting with the Federal Ministry of Aviation at the end of January last year failed to resolve the issues.

With no clear assurance from the Ministry/Managements’ delegation towards meeting the aviation workers’ demands, the various unions have decided to withdraw their services to the aviation industry.

“In this circumstance, our Unions are left with no choice but to take the next obvious step. In this regard, all aviation workers are hereby directed to commence the total withdrawal of services from midnight of Tuesday, February 8, 2022, unless, and until, otherwise directed in this same manner.” the letter reported on Thursday by The Cable reads.

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The protest will disrupt the aviation industry’s recovery from the losses to COVID-19 outbreak and the global lockdown that suspended air travel within Nigeria and across the world.

Nigeria’s aviation industry lost N21 billion monthly to the impact of the coronavirus for over three months, according to Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, while Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) lost 90% of its income in 2020.

Also, about $994 million revenue loss was recorded by Nigerian airlines in 2020, according to the International Airline Transport Association (IATA), and had only begun recovery in 2021 to recoup its losses.

This strike will also hinder the travel plans of individuals and businesses in and out of Nigeria, creating a ripple effect to other sectors that depend on the aviation industry to thrive or foster business growth.