Aviation workers in Nigeria, represented by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), have announced the suspension of their planned strike set to commence on August 16.
This decision was conveyed in a statement released by Mr. Ocheme Oba, the General Secretary of NUATE, on Wednesday in Lagos.
The strike was averted after regulatory bodies, including the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), intervened in the matter.
Oba mentioned that the union had initially notified NCAA about their intention to go on strike. Following receipt of the letter, the NCAA requested a week to deliberate on the workers’ demands.
Strike suspension
Mr Ocheme Oba, General Secretary said the union had sent a letter to the NCAA informing it of the union’s decision to embark on industrial action, the statement added”
- “After receipt of the letter, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) intervened in the matter and requested to be given a week to deliberate on the workers’ demands.
- The Union’s scribe said “The security firms and the airlines.” He added
Strike reasons
Recall Nairametrics reported that Aviation Security (AVSEC) and the logistics sub-sector were directed to embark on an indefinite strike from Wednesday.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) said that the withdrawal of service was inevitable following poor wages paid to them by their employers and lamented that AVSEC personnel who are majorly graduates are paid just N30,000 wages, which is not enough in today’s Nigeria.
A circular was also sent to the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Managing Director, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Commissioner of Police, the Airports Command, the Airport Commandant, Director, Department of State Security (DSS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos Command and obtained by Nairametrics, said that all efforts to ensure improved pay package for the personnel have failed.
- The circular added: “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. In this regard, and 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 of August 16, 2023, indefinitely, until our demand for fair remuneration is met.”
The circular also stated that previous attempts to engage with NCAA regarding improved pay had not yielded results.
It declared that all aviation logistics workers in Nigeria were directed to withdraw services indefinitely starting from August 16, 2023, until their demand for fair remuneration was met.
However, the intervention of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has led to a change in the situation.
Reports indicated that Captain Musa Nuhu, the Director General of Civil Aviation, held a meeting with NUATE’s leadership on Tuesday evening. Capt. Nuhu appealed to the union to reconsider the planned strike.
Subsequently, the General Secretary of NUATE, Comrade Ochemba Aba, confirmed that the strike scheduled to begin on Thursday afternoon would not take place due to NCAA’s intervention.
