11th October, 2018
A group, Network of Nigeria Civil Society Organisation, has called on three unions in the aviation industry to shelve the ongoing strike, following the sack of some workers in the industry.
The three unions are the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).
The Director General of the CSO, Mr Agbonkpolor Splendour, made this call in a statement he signed on Thursday in Abuja.
Splendour called on the striking members of the unions to employ alternative means of dispute resolution instead of embarking on the strike which he said, could cripple the nation’s economy.
The DG expressed confidence on the leadership of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that the crisis would be resolved if the unions could find a means of discussing with the leadership on the issue.
Splendour also appreciated the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr Saleh Dunoma for his doggedness and dedication towards upholding the best practices in managing Nigeria airport operations.
He said that the MD had been able to follow the lines and mandate in regulating the Nigeria Airport operations, which had hitherto, placed the aviation sector in the limelight.
“We commend his giant strides so far in the aviation sector. We urge the MD to continue his good work in the industry and not relent in the drive to consolidate the effort of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” he said.
The striking union members had on Oct. 5 issued a notice of the strike to the management of FAAN that it would begin the strike on Oct. 10, if the sacked workers were not recalled.
The unions also alleged that the affected workers were laid off by Bi-Courtney Aviation Limited (BASL), operating at the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2), Lagos, for showing interest to participate in unionism activities.
The unions in the notice of the strike threatened that it would shut down operations at the MMA2 if BASL could not cooperate with the intervention of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and airport security agencies.