Passengers and airlines were yesterday left counting the cost of a seven-hour disruption of domestic flight operations as aviation unions picketed Air Peace terminals in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu over alleged anti-union practices and non-remittance of the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC). The action, led by 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), under the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), grounded scheduled flights at the airports. The disruption also affected passengers on connecting flights, with some travellers missing onward journeys after their scheduled flights were cancelled or delayed. Daily Trust learnt that the action resulted in the cancellation and rescheduling of more than 100 flights, leaving passengers stranded at airports across the country. Air Peace, which operates 70 flights daily, reportedly cancelled 50 per cent of the flights. United Nigeria Airlines was said to have cancelled over 30 flights; while Max Air and Enugu Air also reportedly cancelled a number of flights. The flight disruption was, however, minimal at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2) when our correspondent visited. Although the picketing was initially targeted at Air Peace, other domestic carriers, including United Nigeria Airlines, Max Air and Enugu Air, also suspended operations in solidarity, further widening the disruption. The action began around 5am in Lagos when union members barricaded entrances to Air Peace’s terminals at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, preventing passengers from accessing departure areas. The disruption sparked frustration among travellers who had arrived at the airports hours before their scheduled departures. One passenger, Pascal, told Daily Trust that he had been scheduled to catch a connecting flight but was stranded after his initial journey was disrupted. Another passenger, Ali Maina, said he was left stranded at Lagos Airport after his Air Peace flight was cancelled. “What makes the situation more frustrating is that other airlines are still operating,” he said. The unions accused domestic airlines of failing to remit over N30 billion in TSC already collected from passengers, insisting that the statutory levy was critical to the funding of aviation agencies and the welfare of workers. They also accused some airlines of stopping their employees from freely joining trade unions of their choice, alleging that workers feared discrimination or victimisation. However, some Air Peace employees staged a counter-protest in Lagos, distancing themselves from the unions, insisting that they had maintained direct engagement with the airline’s management for years. Union members during the protest Why the unions protested The latest action followed the expiration of three-day notice of strike issued by the aviation unions to domestic airlines after they had earlier warned on August 4 that they were prepared to commence industrial action “at any time without further notice.” The unions said they had given affected airlines several weeks to address their grievances before resorting to the industrial action. The unions had vowed to picket domestic airlines over alleged failure to remit the statutory five per cent ticket sale charge (TSC) collected on behalf of the aviation agencies. However, in the course of the picketing, the unions also alleged obstruction of workers from joining trade unions of their choice by the domestic airlines. According to the unions, some domestic airlines had allegedly made it difficult for their employees to freely unionise despite repeated efforts by the aviation unions to secure the right of workers to belong to unions. They said some employees were afraid to openly express their intention to join unions because of fear of discrimination or victimisation. The unions, therefore, demanded that affected airlines issue clear directives to their employees affirming their freedom to join unions of their choice without fear of victimisation. However, there was a mild drama in Lagos when some members of staff of Air Peace staged a counter protest, dissociating themselves from the action of the unions. The spokesperson of the union, Comrade Sulaiman Aminu, said Air Peace employees have had direct engagements with management for 12 years and see no need for union membership. “For 12 years, we have been running our affairs and we have been doing well. Look at the airlines that were unionized, what happened to them? Where are they today?’ The unions also warned that the failure of airlines to remit TSC was creating frustration among aviation workers and could have implications for safety. “This continues to breed disgruntled air transport workers; the implication of which is an accident in the waiting!” the unions said. The u
Don't miss out on breaking stories and in-depth articles.
