The Aviation Workers’ Union (AWU), Enugu State chapter, has rejected the Federal Government’s concession of the Enugu airport, warning that industrial action may follow if the decision is not reversed.
The opposition was made public in a joint letter addressed to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, signed by the general secretaries of three major unions: Frances Akinjole (ATSSSAN), Sikiru Waheed (NUATE), and Abdul Rasaq Saidu (ANAP).
The unions alleged that workers’ representatives were sidelined during the final stages of the concession process, excluding labour from deliberations on key employment and welfare issues.
They argued that necessary labour provisions expected to be embedded in the contract were ignored, despite earlier assurances that a separate agreement addressing workers’ interests would be concluded.
“No agreement was ever signed with our unions in this regard. Hence, the process was incomplete to warrant the signing off of the concession agreement of the Enugu airport, as it happened last week,” the unions stated.
They further accused authorities of conducting the process without transparency, warning that the development had already triggered discontent among aviation workers nationwide.
Government’s Position
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, described the concession signing as the conclusion of a “painstaking and tedious process” that lasted several years.
He said the agreement followed negotiations, due diligence, and consultations with key stakeholders, including aviation unions.
Keyamo assured that the deal prioritised workers’ welfare, stressing that aviation staff at Enugu airport would retain their status as federal employees despite the concession.
The unions dismissed the minister’s assurances, describing the concession as a “flagrant display of insensitivity” to staff who could be affected.
They formally rejected the agreement and called on the minister to halt and reverse the process.
“This patent lack of transparency that envelops the processes that culminated in the signing of the agreement has caused serious acrimonious agitation among the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria staffers across Nigeria,” the unions said.
The unions warned that failure to address their concerns could lead to industrial action, a move that may disrupt operations at Enugu airport and potentially affect air travel across the country.
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