A major disruption of aviation activities looms as aviation workers are planning to embark on strike by August 21, 2024.
This was triggered by 50 percent deductions of internally generated revenue of government agencies including Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airport Authority (FAAN), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NISB), Aeronautical Meteorology. Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT).
The circular dated August 14 was titled, ‘Save Aviation from Collapse: Notice Of Nationwide Protest.’
It was signed by General Secretary of the National Union Of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ocheme Abe; the Secretary General of Association Of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdul Rasaq Saidu; General Secretary of the National Association Of Aircraft Pilots And Engineers (NAAPE), Olayinka Abioye.
Other signatories are the General Secretary of AUPCTRE of the Amalgamated Union Of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical And Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and the Deputy General Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association Of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Frances Akinjole.
FAAN said, “All workers of the NCAA, FAAN, NAM, NIMet, NCAT and NSIB, joined by solidarity of all aviation workers are hereby directed to embark on peaceful protests at all airports nationwide on Wednesday August 21, 2024 to demand the discontinuation of deduction of 50 per cent from the internally generated revenue of the agencies mentioned above through exemption.
“All efforts on our part have failed to impress it upon the Federal Government that all the Agencies are cost recovery, and not profit-making organisations. As such they cannot survive on half of their incomes under any model of administration, or any other guise whatsoever.”
The unions said it has ample information that some important safety critical activities of the “Agencies are grinding to a halt under the yoke of the deductions.”
The unions said it has become necessary as trade unions and workers in aviation to let the public and the government be aware that “we shall bear no responsibility in the certain event that the industry becomes dysfunctional as a result of financial incapacity due to the deductions at source.”
The unions instructed their State Councils, Women Commissions/Committees, Youth Councils and Branches of our Unions nationwide to fully mobilise for the protest.