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By Chinelo Obogo
Aviation unions have been given special exemption not to participate in the ongoing industrial action by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Daily Sun has learned.
The National Union Of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots And Engineers (NAAPE) are not participating in the ongoing industrial action after the leadership of the NLC and the TUC gave the directive at a joint press conference in Abuja on for the strike to commence on Tuesday, November 14.
Last Friday, the National Industrial Court (NIC) had restrained the NLC and TUC and their affiliates from embarking on the strike but the TUC president, Festus Osifo, said the government has refused to yield to the congress’ demands regarding the attack on the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, Imo State, two weeks ago, while leading union members on a strike against alleged abuse of workers’ rights by the state government.
The National General Secretary of the Nigerian Aviation Fire and Safety Association (NAFSA), Akinwunmi Emmanuel, told Daily Sun that they are waiting for the official position of national leadership of the aviation unions. “It is possible that aviation unions will join the strike if it extends to next week. The reason they didn’t join is because all the unions are converging on Benin this week for NUATE’s National Delegate Congress which has been fixed since November 2022 for this week. As a result, NLC/TUC leadership gave aviation a waiver for this week,” he said.
Collaborating Emmanuel’s claim, the national president of NAAPE, Abednego Galadima, told Daily Sun that the several things came to play in the decision on an exemption. He said: “First, we have a special exemption because of NUATE’s congress taking place in Benin this week. Also, because of the conflicting issue of the court order, we hadn’t come to a consensus.
“Don’t forget that we actively took part in the warning strike earlier in the month which was successful and our industry was the only one that was affected. So, we have contributed our quota and we are still doing so, he said.
It is only fair that the union should show understanding but if there is no resolution, we would review the situation.”
The General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Frances Akinjole, also confirmed the development to Daily Sun, saying that a similar scenario happened five years ago when one of the aviation unions was holding a delegate conference in Asaba and the NLC called for a nationwide strike. He said in that instance, the aviation unions were exempted.
