The Nigerian aviation sector may be totally grounded should the labor unions make do with their threats to embark on an indefinite strike over the hardship caused by the federal government’s subsidy removal policy.
According to the Tribune, all the unions in the aviation sector, including the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and others, have reached out to all aviation workers at all airports to withdraw their services in line with the directives from the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to embark on a nationwide strike over the hardship caused by the oil subsidy removal.
As of Friday evening, all the aviation unions at their different meetings had mobilized all the workers in readiness to block all entrances leading to the airports, particularly the international ones, to prevent the take-off of all flights, including foreign flights.
In a circular issued by NUATE on Friday evening titled ‘Notice of Total Withdrawal of Services’, signed by the General Secretary, Comrade Ocheme Aba, with copies sent to the Commissioner of Police, airport command, director of state security service, airport commandants, and director of aviation security, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), NUATE directed all workers to stay away from work as of October 3, 2023, indefinitely until otherwise directed by the NLC.
The circular partly read, “By this notice, all the aviation agencies and companies are informed of the development and should advise their clients and customers accordingly to afford travel rearrangements. All workers shall comply fully.”