As the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) mobilise for indefinite nationwide strike starting from Monday, unions in the aviation industry have thrown their weights behind the unions.
The unions; National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) in a circular signed by their General Secretaries, Comrades Ocheme Aba, Umoh Ofonime, Frances Akinjole and Abdul Rasaq Saidu, respectively, said that there was no going back on the impending strike.
They said the country’s airspace would be shutdown indefinitely until the government reversed its decision on the increased pump price and hike tariff of power supply.
The unions , therefore, directed all workers in the aviation sector to withdrawal their services at all the airports nationwide as from 00:00hrs on September 28, 2020.
The circular stated that ; “As you are aware, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have declared indefinite nationwide strike action with effect from Monday 28, 2020.
“Our unions as above named are in full support of the strike. As such, all workers in the aviation sector are hereby directed to withdraw their services at all aerodromes nationwide as from 00:hrs of 28th September, 2020 until otherwise communicated by the NLC/TUC or our unions.”
The closure of the airspace by the unions would affect airlines especially foreign carriers from coming in or departing of the country, thereby leading to chaos nationwide.
Also, it is anticipated that air travellers would be stranded nationwide as domestic flight operations would be affected.
Both NLC and TUV had on Friday said that there was no going back in its planed strike, following the failure of the Federal Government to reverse the increases in electricity tariff and fuel price.
The unions had met with the National Executive Council in Abuja, but both parties refused to reach a truce.
The labour had said that the decision to go ahead with the strike was unanimously taken by the chairmen of the 36 states and FCT chapters of the NLC.
