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The leadership of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has urged its members to stand down any planned picketing after a meeting it held with the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, in Abuja.
Air Peace had written a petition to the IGP over the picketing carried out against the airline on August 11, prompting the police to invite the union leaders to answer to the petition. After the meeting with the IGP, the union’s General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, sent out a message to members narrating how the meeting went. He said the delegation departed the Police Headquarters around 4:30 p.m. after presenting their account of events related to the August 11 picketing.
“While there, we stated the version of the occurrence of August 11 from our own perspective. The Police promised to have similar interaction with every other persons/organisations that have things to say about the contents of the petition from the Air Peace lawyer, including the Air Peace itself,” he said.
According to ATSSSAN, Air Peace accused not only the unions but also the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the police airport command, and numerous other industry stakeholders of various infractions.
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The Police have indicated that they will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter, committing to hear from all parties involved before reaching conclusions. In a significant development, authorities suggested that all stakeholders may be convened for collective discussion to resolve the tensions.
“It was declared that every party may later be called together for discussion because the aviation industry is a strategic and sensitive sector that must be collectively protected,” the union said.
The Police appealed to ATSSSAN to maintain peace and restraint as the investigation proceeds, a request to which the union has acceded. The General Secretary has issued a directive instructing all aviation workers to suspend strike action pending resolution of the matter.
