Aviation workers’ unions have announced plans to stage a peaceful protest at airports nationwide on September 18, 2024, in opposition to the Federal Government’s 50% revenue deduction policy from the Internally Generated revenues (IGR) of aviation agencies.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the protest was confirmed by Ocheme Aba, General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and Frances Akinjole, Deputy General Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN).
Other unions, including the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), also endorsed the protest.
The unions criticized the Federal Government for not addressing their calls to reverse the policy.
They argue that the affected agencies, including the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), cannot operate efficiently under such stringent revenue cuts.
“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, organizations. As such, they cannot survive on half of their incomes under any model of administration, or any other guise whatsoever,” the unions stated.
They added that an ultimatum given to the Minister of Aviation regarding this issue had expired in August 2024.
The unions emphasized that their demand for exemption from the policy is necessary to ensure the survival of the agencies.
Initially, a 25% deduction policy was introduced in October 2022, later increased to 40%, and eventually raised to 50% by the current administration in January 2024.
The protest is expected to involve workers from the NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, NiMet, NCAT, and NSIB, with the unions calling for a “joint solidarity” of all aviation workers across the country.