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) have commenced a nationwide indefinite strike today.
The four aviation unions went on strike over the failure of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to solve problems associated with perceived faulty organogram in the authority.
Aim of the strike: The main reason the aviation unions are striking is to draw the attention of the Federal Government. According to them, they embarked on the industrial action following failed efforts to get the Ministry of Transport to handle their complaints about faulty organogram in NCAA.
The indefinite strike began at 5 am this morning. The circular directing the union members to embark on the industrial action was signed by Comrades Ocheme Aba, Frances Akinjole, Abdul Rasaq Saidu, and Umoh Ofonime, for NUATE, ATSSSAN, ANAP, and NAAPE, respectively.
The ministry failed to address the issue? The unions have also noted that at the expiration of the ultimatum given to the ministry on Monday, the ministry and the management of NCAA have failed to address any of the demands raised, threatening that the agency would remain grounded until the issues are addressed.
The Protest: According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the Unions blocked the entrances of the NCAA headquarters and its annex office, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Collapse organogram structure’’, “Our Mumu don dooo’’ and “Our demands: expanded organogram, staff, friendly condition of service, negotiated staff health and insurance policy’’.
The Deputy General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Mr Francis Akinjole, was quoted as saying the following;
“We did not choose this date because we gave them a seven-day notice which expired on Monday and the unions had reviewed it; and we decided that the best thing to do is to carry out this action. “This is because the management is of the opinion that we will never do anything and that is how they have been doing for a while now.”
