Nigeria’s aviation sector has never been lucky enough to escape from controversies a whole one week without bringing to memory the popular literary work of the prolific writer, Anezi Okoro in his ‘One week, one trouble’ treatise.
As sensitive as the sector is meant to be in view of the critical roles it plays in ensuring safe movement of humans and cargoes through air transport across the world and the subsequent huge funds it generates to the GDP of the country’s economy, sadly, the sector is regularly caught up in one trouble or the other.
Though, most of the challenges rocking the boat of the sector can be traced to many unpopular policies of government, but to add insult upon injury, there are some self inflicted policies being eating deep down the soul of the sector by the different interest groups therein.
Among such policies tearing the sector down in view of the various debates such policies played up include for example; the proposed floating of a new national carrier project, Nigeria Air which though has reached an advanced stage, but being taunted for lack of transparency, the planned airport concessions and lately the plan to demolish the offices of the aviation agencies to give room for the proposed aerotropolis project at the Lagos airport among many other issues.
While these policies have impacted negatively on the business atmosphere in the sector, the roles being played by some critical bodies like the aviation unions are not even helping matters.
It is a known fact that the global economy is going through hardship which has not exempted the aviation sector including the airlines and other allied businesses.
Prior to now, the domestic airlines like their counterparts in other climes have been operating under a harsh economic situation which has been compounded by the pandemic, the high price of Jet A1 and high exchange rate.
In the face of these myriad of challenges, many airlines and businesses have folded up while the few still in business are operating under a precarious situation, hence, the few airlines and other businesses that are still struggling to keep the sector ongoing despite the hostile environment, therefore deserve better support and understanding in the face of challenges like labour issues.
This brings to the fore the recent picketing of the MMA2 private terminal at the local wing of the Lagos airport by one of the unions, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) over the sack of 37 workers by the management of the terminal, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL).
ATSSSAN attributed its unpopular decision to get justice for the sacked workers from the Bi-Courtney management.
Agreed that the law allows picketing and freedom of fighting for justice on behalf of the aggrieved by the unions or relevant human right bodies, but in fighting for justice for some, the law does not allow you to trample on the rights of others.
It is therefore senseless and counter productive the mode the union adopted in this particular picketing as it infringed on the rights of others who were the passengers and other airport users on one side, and the business rights of the airlines whose income through their flight operations were disrupted.
In more civilized climes the union cannot escape from serious litigations for causing huge financial loss to the airlines and exposing the passengers to psychological trauma and disruption of plans.
The time has come for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other relevant bodies to clip the wings of the unions who at any slightest provocation unleash unnecessary hardship on those doing their legitimate businesses under the guise of fighting for welfare.
The need to urgently call the unions to order is now as the unions have been found to misuse the privileges of conducting themselves in time of struggles as they often use the opportunity to hinder the plans of those doing their legitimate businesses even when the so called agitation does not concern them as it played out in the latest struggle between the union and Bi-Courtney but was extended to the airlines and others doing their businesses within the terminal.
The latest picketing of the entire terminal building by the union was totally absurd in view of the bad image the shenanigans further created for the country before the global community.
The question the unions should answer include: if the irresponsible picketing has now brought back those sacked and who should compensate the airlines and the passengers whose fundamental rights were abused.
The aviation unions should learn from their counterparts in other parts of the world how to explore all options of bargaining and negotiations before thinking of confrontations and when left with the option of confrontations, they should learn not to kill a fly with a sledge hammer.