By Airport: As they organized a procession to the airport on Tuesday, the striking aviation unions pledged to have a complete shutdown of the airports after seven days.
While they held a parade to the international terminal of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport on Tuesday, the unions representing the aviation industry on strike made a commitment to shut down the airports completely after seven days (MMIA).
On Monday, the first day of their two-day warning strike, when the entry routes were blocked, security personnel also occupied the protest site where the unions had gathered.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Employees (NAAPE) are the unions that make up this group. They are demanding that the conditions of service be implemented, that the demolition of the offices of aviation agencies in Lagos be stopped, and that relocation allowances be paid, among other things.
All of the agencies operations, including those of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), were halted since their offices were locked.
When speaking at the MMIA, ANAP General Secretary Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu remarked, “After seven days, we proceed to a total shutdown, and we will try to cut Nigeria apart from other countries.”
“Conditions of service were not imposed for eight years,” he claimed. There is no check and balance because Sirika took over the governing boards’ responsibilities.
We declined to attend the meeting despite their attempts to force us to travel to Abuja. There were no conclusions or sincere discussions with the government.
On Monday, the Federal Ministry of Aviation had urged the employees to choose dialogue over strike action.
