The planned nationwide strike by aviation security personnel has been called off by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
According to a report from Naija News on Tuesday, the National Union of Air Transport Employees has ordered the aviation security and logistics sub-sector to begin an immediate strike on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, as a result of inadequate pay.
The instruction was included in a circular that was sent to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos Command, the Director of State Security, the Commissioner of Police, Airports Command, and the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
The circular, which was signed by NUATE General Secretary Comrade Ocheme Aba, bemoaned the pitiful monthly salary that AVSEC graduates receive.
The circular partly reads, “As you are all aware, the union has done everything possible to resolve the lingering crisis of extreme impoverishment of employees of Aviation Security (AvSec) & logistics sub-sector of the aviation industry in Nigeria, but to no avail.
“The managements of all the companies in the business have all failed to secure decent contracts that can avail fair remuneration for their workers. With current salary levels as low as N30,000 a month for graduates, there is no gain saying that AvSec employment in Nigeria is nothing other than a slave labour camp, to call a spade a spade.
“This situation can no longer be allowed to continue.
“In this regard, and further to our letter of ultimatum dated 26th June 2023, all workers in all Aviation Logistics companies in Nigeria are hereby directed to totally withdraw services as from August 16, 2023, indefinitely, until our demand for fair remuneration is met.”
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) brought up the problem of the underpaid workers, but in a quick move to stop the planned walkout, the aviation’s top regulating agency asked for an additional week to investigate.
On Wednesday, Comrade Ocheme Aba, the secretary general of NUATE, confirmed the NCAA’s involvement.
The strike, which was supposed to start this afternoon, has been postponed, according to Aba, who was quoted by Nigerian Tribune.
He stated that the union is anticipating an official communication on its intervention plan from the top body.