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By Chinelo Obogo
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has directed its members who are security officials at the airport and logistics sub-sector, to withdraw their services from today (Wednesday) over poor wages.
In a circular signed by the General Secretary, Ocheme Aba and sent to the Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA), Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Commissioner of Police, Airports Command, the Airport Commandant, Director, Department of State Security (DSS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, the union said that the withdrawal of service was inevitable.
It said that all efforts to negotiate improved wages for their members in the past have failed and wondered why N30,000 could be sufficient for the personnel considering Nigeria’s economic situation.
“The union has done everything possible to resolve the lingering crisis of extreme impoverishment of employees of Aviation Security (AvSec) and logistics sub-sector of the aviation industry in Nigeria, but to no avail.
“The management of all the companies in the business have all failed to secure decent contracts that can avail fair remuneration for their workers. With current salary levels as low as N30,000 a month for graduates, there is no gain saying that AvSec employment in Nigeria is nothing other than a slave labour camp; to call a spade a spade. This situation can no longer be allowed to continue.
“Further to our letter of ultimatum dated June 26, 2023, all workers in all aviation logistics companies in Nigeria are hereby directed to totally withdraw services as from August 16, 2023 indefinitely, until our demand for fair remuneration is met. State Councils of NUATE in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu should be on hand to assure full compliance with this notice,” the circular read.
