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Nigeria’s aviation workers have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government to address their complaints over poor conditions of service and other welfare issues or face an indefinite industrial action. The ultimatum came after a two-day warning strike by the workers on April 17 and 18, 2023, which caused flight disruptions on domestic routes across the country and traffic gridlock along roads leading to Lagos airports.
The coalition of aviation workers’ unions made up of members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE), had lamented the non-implementation of the conditions of service it negotiated with the government.
They also complained of the non-implementation of minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) since 2019, and the planned demolition exercise of all the agency buildings in Lagos by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, for an airport city project. The secretary of ANAP, one of the affiliate unions, Abdulrarak Saidu, expressed disappointment that the aviation workers had been left hanging in the last eight years. Saidu vowed that if nothing was done after seven days, the unions will go on an indefinite strike and shut down everywhere.
The threat should not be treated with levity by the government and the aviation authorities. The aviation sector is a critical gateway to domestic and international travels. It is one sector that is not supposed to be affected by industrial action. Aviation is a global industry, with prescribed standards for air safety, which Nigeria must abide with.
It is sad that the country has lost so much to strikes in many sectors. The crisis in the aviation sector will be deleterious if it is not quickly addressed. There is need for dialogue between the government and the aviation workers’ unions to save the sector from further embarrassment.
The ultimatum by the aviation workers is an opportunity for the government to begin to address the challenges in the sector. Considering that air travel is generally adjudged as the safest mode of transportation in the world, Nigeria’s aviation sector must be spared of the looming strike. Government must do everything within its powers to make the sector more efficient. Therefore, workers in the sector should be well remunerated in line with industry standards. The implementation of the agreement reached by the workers and the government must begin forthwith. While it is laudable that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is dialoguing with the aggrieved workers, we urge the minister of aviation and other stakeholders to do the same. It is unfortunate that the sector has been bedeviled by strikes or threats of strikes. Not quite long ago, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had threatened to suspend flight operations, due to rising cost of aviation fuel and other challenges. The operators, however, did not do so following the intervention of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation and other stakeholders.
In September last year, aviation workers protested nationwide to show their disapproval of anti-labour clauses in the Aviation Bills before the National Assembly. The workers had alleged that the Bills would impinge on the rights of unions and obliterate unionism in the sector. During the protests, flight operations were disrupted.
Any further industrial action in the sector will affect customer confidence and investor morale. There is need for the government and stakeholders in the industry to jointly and holistically address the grievances of aviation workers and other challenges in the sector. The intermittent shutting down of the sector will definitely hurt the economy. It may also lead to job losses that may worsen the nation’s fragile security. Apart from employees directly involved in the industry, other ancillary workers in the sector will also suffer.
We plead with the aviation workers to fully exploit all peaceful avenues to settle their grievances with their employers amicably. It is sad that the two-day strike was disruptive and denied other Nigerians the use of airport access roads. Closing all roads that lead to the Lagos airports and depriving other road users the right of passage all in the name of industrial action is unlawful and condemnable.
As a weapon of labour negotiation, strike must be the last option. And whenever it is applied, it must not be used to deny other Nigerians their rights to use public roads and other facilities. Let the government and aviation workers resolve the industrial dispute through dialogue and save the sector from another avoidable strike.
