TUC Join Strike as Aviation Unions Ground Air Peace Flights

Thousands of travellers were stranded at major Nigerian airports on Tuesday as aviation unions picketed Air Peace's operations in Lagos and Abuja.

The industrial action, led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), is over alleged anti-union practices and the withholding of statutory funds, including the 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) that airlines collect from passengers on behalf of aviation agencies.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) backed the action.

In the early hours of Tuesday, union officials barricaded departure terminal entrances at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, preventing Air Peace from attending to passengers.

ATSSSAN National President, John Ogbe, attributed the strike to the expiration of consecutive 14-day, seven-day and three-day ultimatums given to airlines over the disputed issues, which also include the failure to regularise qualified casual workers and more than ₦25 billion in statutory funds allegedly owed to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other agencies.

Ogbe said an intervention meeting convened by the Ministry of Aviation ended without progress after the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) declined to engage, and warned the action could expand nationwide if the dispute remains unresolved.

Air Peace, in a statement, apologised to passengers for disruptions caused by “circumstances beyond” its control, saying affected travellers were being contacted with updates.

TUC Backs Strike As NCAA Appeals For Restraint

United Nigeria Airlines said it suspended 32 flights to protect passenger and crew safety, with spokesman Chibuike Uloka noting the airline’s eight serviceable aircraft had been fully booked before the picketing began.

The chief executive of one affected carrier, who asked not to be named, called on the Federal Government to investigate the unions’ action, arguing that the aviation regulator already has the means to collect the disputed 5% charge without resorting to picketing.

“Nigeria is a country of law, and we are law-abiding citizens. I think the Federal Government should investigate this because people are taking laws into their own hands,” the executive said.

A union official said the latest action followed an unsuccessful attempt by Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to broker peace between the unions and airline operators, adding that the unions were concentrating their picketing on one major carrier as a strategic first step.

TUC President, Festus Osifo, declared the Congress’s full support for the aviation workers on Tuesday during a briefing on the state of the nation in Abuja, insisting that no employer has the right to prevent workers from joining trade unions.

Osifo also used the briefing to call for the fast-tracking of the state police bill before the National Assembly and to caution against the outright sale of government-owned refineries.

Meanwhile, the NCAA appealed to the unions to exercise restraint pending the return of Minister Keyamo, who the regulator said has been working to resolve the underlying issues.