Passengers have been left stranded at airports in Lagos and Abuja on Tuesday after aviation unions shut down operations of Air Peace over unresolved labour disputes.
The action, which began in the early hours of Tuesday, affected the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, disrupting scheduled flights and leaving passengers unable to check in.
The unions involved are the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), with the backing of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
NPO reports that the development followed a warning issued by the unions on August 4, when they threatened industrial action over unresolved disagreements with domestic airlines operating under the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).
In a joint statement, the unions accused airline operators, including Air Peace, of preventing employees from freely joining unions of their choice.
They alleged that workers who attempt to unionise face threats of victimisation or termination, describing the practice as a violation of workers’ rights.
The unions also accused domestic airlines of withholding the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and Cargo Sales Charge (CSC) collected from passengers.
According to the unions, failure to remit the funds to the relevant aviation agencies has affected the agencies’ ability to meet their obligations, including the implementation of negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreements with their employees.
They warned that the resulting industrial tensions could have implications for safety and smooth operations within the aviation sector.
The unions demanded that airlines issue clear directives assuring workers of their freedom to join unions without fear of victimisation, as well as the immediate remittance of the outstanding operational funds.
Responding to the disruption, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority appealed to the unions to suspend the picketing and return to negotiations.
The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, said the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development had convened a reconciliation meeting the previous week to resolve the dispute, but the meeting could not achieve its objective because airline operators failed to attend.
Najomo urged the unions to remain calm pending the return of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who he said had been working towards resolving the dispute.
The NCAA also assured passengers that the industrial action had not compromised aviation safety.
As passengers arrived at the affected airports on Tuesday morning, they encountered union members, placards and blocked access points, while several Air Peace check-in counters remained unattended.