Author: philip
On the second day of the two-day warning strike staged by aviation sector workers, unions have issued a warning to shut down airport operations nationwide, defying the Federal Government’s request for a peaceful resolution. Meanwhile, one of the unions involved in the strike has dismissed the Minister of Aviation’s claim that aviation is an essential service and, therefore, should not be involved in strikes.
Minister of Aviation calls strike unnecessary, says issues raised can be resolved in-house. Strike causes passenger disruption at major airports.
The current state of affairs is preventing me from moving forward, and I had hoped that everything would proceed smoothly. However, I am now uncertain about my ability to travel. At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Sikiru Waheed, the General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, informed reporters that if the federal government does not meet the union’s demands, the next step would be to completely shut down airports throughout the country. Additionally, the National Union of Air Transport Employers (NUATE), one of the unions participating in the two-day warning strike, dismissed claims made by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, that aviation is an essential service industry that should not go on strike.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily yesterday, Ocheme Aba, the General Secretary of the union, contradicted the Minister’s previous statement from January 2023, in which he claimed that industrial actions were illegal under the new Act of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), due to aviation being classified as an essential service. Aba dismissed the Minister’s argument, stating that the government meeting held on Sunday was deadlocked due to the inability to provide a guarantee on the release date of the Conditions of Service for the agencies. Consequently, the union was also unable to guarantee that they would not go on strike.
Despite the Salaries and Wages Commission holding a meeting with the agencies today (yesterday), we have not been invited to participate. Consequently, we are unaware of the nature of the discussions taking place, and how they might impact the ongoing situation.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) does not consider aviation to be an essential service provider, with the exception of air traffic control services. In defining essential services, the ILO has stated that the withdrawal of such services should affect the lives of groups of people. Therefore, while aviation plays a crucial role in air traffic control services, it does not provide essential services beyond this function. For instance, if an air traffic controller instructs an aircraft not to land, the safety of the passengers and crew on board would be at risk.
According to the Secretary-General of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), when someone says that aircraft should not take off, it isn’t endangering anyone’s life. He also added that airlines and transport companies offer similar services, and the aviation industry is not considered an essential service as per the ruling of National Industrial Court. He further stressed that the concept of essential services is irrelevant, citing examples of Nigerian doctors who frequently go on strike without any mention of essential services.
