That unwise invasion of Lagos airport by NLC

THE  country’s aviation sector has continued to be in the news in the recent times for wrong reasons in view of the distractions being thrown at it from every angle by those who should know better that in view of the critical functions required to make the sector safe and secured for air transport with absolute concentration.

It is no longer news that the sector happens to be one of the mostly regulated in line with the international recommended best practices and standard devoid of no local or emotional politics or interests.

In other words, all the activities abound in the sector are conducted in line with the laid down principles and guidelines because of the delicate functions it plays, meaning that each player cutting across the different professional groups have its limitations that must not be allowed to clash with the responsibility of one another.

The roles played by the different key players have been attributed to the high ratings the sector has enjoyed across the world in view of the relative safe atmosphere permeating the country’s airspace.

Agreed that in the course of keeping the airspace safe and secured by the various interest groups on one side and the government and its officials on the other side, there is bound to be disagreement or even at times confrontation over labour and other sundry issues.

Since Nigeria cannot afford to be an island in doing things, it only makes sense that when such critical issues that bother on safety, workers/labour issues emerge, there are rules guiding the game that must be followed in view of the uniqueness of the sector where different private investors like airline operators, ground handling companies, oil marketers, other allied businesses and the government agencies who are the service providers need each other for seamless flight operations.

Besides, being on the top list of sectors that generate huge revenue to the coffers of government, for the fact that activities that take place there are responsible for seamless connectivity of the country to other parts of the world and movement of cargoes through air transport, the key players particularly the unions need not be told to put away any form of reckless attitude that may create unnecessary distractions.

This brings to the fore, the recent act of lawlessness displayed by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the Lagos, Abuja and IMO airports when its members threw caution to the winds by using the airports as the tool for fighting the course that was not in anyway relevant to the sector.

The NLC in an  unruly manner illegally invaded the three airports to unleash havoc over what transpired in far away IMO State between them and the government of Governor Hope Uzodinma on the May 1st workers day commemoration.

The negative impact this act of unruliness has on airlines particularly Air Peace which suffered huge economic losses amounting to over N700 million and  the disruption of its over 110 flights is the height of irresponsibility . Besides Air Peace other domestic airlines were also affected by the abnormal action of the Labour union on the day in question with many passengers left stranded.

The latest action has since elicited condemnation across the sector with some accusing the Labour unions of crossing the boundary of tolerability  as stated in Section 43 of the Trade Unions Act. Cap.T14, LFN,2004.

According to the Aviation Round Table (ART), a body consisting of different professionals for example:”On the disruptive activities in Abuja and Lagos  based on alleged labour dispute with the Imo State government, ART considers as reckless these unwarranted actions which adversely affected an ailing  industry struggling to recover from Covid- 19 pandemic disruptions and the persistently high operational cost.”

The position of the ART which is the general view of the various interest groups in the sector has only gone to confirm the level of anger and displeasure among the key players against the unions.

To say the actual fact, the unions have abused the privilege granted unto them according to the Labour laws they are holding on to by trampling on the rights of others and therefore, should change the retrogressive strategies.

Among the questions on people’s lips include: what connection aviation has with IMO State, who pays for the losses of the airlines and who compensates the passengers who were subjected to the avoidable attitudes of the Labour body.

It is at this juncture that the Crucial Moment is joining  other well meaning Nigerians to condemn the absolute disregard to the aviation rules by the unions. They should learn from their counterparts in other climes.

The unions should realize that they have no right to use their struggles to destroy other people’s businesses. If the unions fail to exempt the sector from their excesses, the individual owners of the businesses they rush to disrupt recklessly may be forced to henceforth seek legal actions against them or in the extreme their actions may provoke other airport users to rise against them.

Above all, the ministries of Labour and Aviation should prevail on the government to promulgate the law that will hold the unions accountable for their excesses.