Aviation unions shun NLC’s nationwide strike

Today’s much-talked-about nationwide strike declared by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC and the Trade Union Congress (NLC) failed to take off across the country’s aviation sector.

According to investigations carried out by the Nigerian Tribune, all the Aviation unions refused to partake in the struggles spearheaded by the two national bodies to protest the brutalization of the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, by some thugs in Owerri, Imo State, two weeks ago.

Going around the Lagos airport, flight activities and other businesses within the airport and its environs went on peacefully with other aviation workers carrying out their functions without distraction.

The members of the different unions who spoke to Nigerian Tribune anonymously expressed their reservations about the sincerity of the strike on the premise that it has only targeted Aviation.

To show that Aviation unions are indifferent to the latest strike, one of the unions, the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), who used to be at the forefront of such protests, are presently in Benin, Edo State preparing to elect its new executives.

Other unions like the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) showed no commitment towards the national protest.

As at the time of filing this report, flight operation continued with aircraft landing and taking off just as there was no hinderance to vehicular and human movements.

The shunning of the protest in the sector may not be unconnected to the negative effects and the general condemnation that greeted the last protests which paralyzed flight operations at the airports particularly at the Lagos, Abuja and Owerri airports.

The protest which led to the total blockade of the entrances leading to the airports, caused untold hardships for passengers while airlines suffered unquantified losses as they were forced to cancel, delay or rescheduled their flights.

The incessant targeting of the sector by the national bodies of the two unions has been condemned by the key players including the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Mr Festus Keyamo who described the action of the unions as political.

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