Airlines relocate to GAT as aviation unions ground operations at MM2

By Chinelo Obogo 

Domestic airlines operating at the Murtala Muhammed airport (MM2) managed by Bi- Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), have temporarily relocated to the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) operated by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) after aviation unions shut the terminal and grounded  activities at the facility.

Daily Sun earlier reported that passengers and airlines were left stranded in the early hours of Tuesday, after the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) barricaded the MMA2 terminal, Lagos over the sacking of 34 members of the union by BASL without following due process.

The union barricaded the entrance of the airport by 2 am on Tuesday and stayed there till evening same day. 

ATSSSAN had alleged that BASL, sacked 34 of its members illegally last Friday with “ordinary e-mails” sent to their different boxes in disregard to the rule of law after being sent on compulsory leave of absence for 10 days.

The Vice President and Deputy General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Emmanuel Jaja and Frances Akinjole, said during a press conference on Monday that most of those laid off had put in at least a decade on their job with the company.

Akinjole insisted that the action was to witch-hunt its members as its branch chairman, branch secretary, branch treasurer and branch women leader were all affected by the sack.

He said the action of the management contravened Section 20 of the Labour Act on engagement and disengagement of staff by any company in the country, maintaining that the union would kick severely against the act of the management.

Airlines like  Ibom Air and Azman Air announced their relocation to GAT pending the resolution.

Reacting to the development, the Head, Corporate Communication at  Bi-Courtney, Oluwatosin Onalaja, said the action of the unions disrupting MMA2 was illegal and a violation of the laws of Nigeria.

“Our terminal was shut down at 2:30am on November 1, 2022 by ATSSSAN and that there was no proper notice of this damaging behaviour. The union brought in members who are not employees of BASL to prevent the employees from working.  This is also an unlawful action.  Our relationship is with union members that are our employees and not external members.  This is clearly an illegal action and continues to set a bad precedent in Nigeria.

“The alleged cause of this industrial action is our decision to lay off some of our staff who we consider unproductive.  It is our inherent right to manage our business in the most prudent manner and we should not be intimidated by external forces as is being done in this case.