Aviation workers threaten to ground flight operations today

Posted by admin Aviation, Headlines Monday, May 20th, 2013

Workers of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency on Sunday vowed to paralyse activities in the aviation sector, including flight operations, on Monday (today), after a meeting between their union leaders and NAMA management over salary dispute ended in a deadlock on Friday.

The planned industrial action is coming on the heels of a 14-day ultimatum issued earlier by the aviation unions.

The workers said there was no going back on the planned protest, which was meant to press home their demand for the implementation of the approved salary scale endorsed by National Salary, Incomes and Wages Commission.

Three aviation unions, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, said in a joint statement on Sunday that there was no iota of truth in the rumoured truce between the workers’ representatives and the NAMA management.

The joint statement was signed by the Assistant General Secretary, ATSSSAN, Mr. Olayinka Abioye; General Secretary, NUATE, Mr. Abdulkareem Motajo; and General Secretary, NAAPE, Mr. Aba Ocheme.

According to the unions, the meeting convened by the management of NAMA last Friday failed to address the issue on ground.

NAMA had released a statement on Friday claiming that the planned strike had been suspended to allow for the continuation of discussions between the union leaders and it.

But the unions insisted that the industrial action would hold as planned.

The unions’ statement read in part, “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that the ultimatum issued against NAMA shall expire 00:00hrs May 20, 2013, and appropriate actions shall commence thereafter.

“We wish to reassure all our members that no retreat, no surrender, and until all grievances are sorted out, there is no going back on our course of action.”

The unions said all workers had been put on standby for the implementation of the action.

However, NAMA said in a fresh statement on Sunday that the Nigerian airspace would remain open to traffic “despite the unwarranted threat from some trade union leaders, who have vowed in their cocoons to endanger safety and security within the nation’s airspace.”

The statement by the General Manager, Public Affairs, NAMA, Mr. Supo Atobatele, urged foreign airlines to continue to file in their normal flight plans “without exercising any fear.”

The statement quoted NAMA’s Managing Director; Mr. Nnamdi Udoh, as saying the management had in February commenced full payment of the new consolidated salary scale, and promised to pay 13 months’ arrears thereafter.

Meanwhile, a sourced said on Sunday that the union leaders had been invited for a last-minute discussion by the Ministry of Aviation to avert the planned industrial action.

It was also gathered that air traffic controllers would participate in the proposed strike, a situation which will make it difficult for aircraft to take off or land.

A leader of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said the union was in full support of the industrial action, adding that ATCs would observe the work-to-rule regulation by reporting at their duty post but would not do any work.

He said some ATCs, who are part of the NAMA management, might be forced to work, but doubted if they would be able to cope with the volume of traffic.

The ATC said, “We are not going to work. The NAMA management may force some management staff to work, but they can’t cope with the volume of traffic.

“Let me say that there may be skeletal services, but definitely, the industrial action will hold except the NAMA management reaches a last-minute truce with the union leaders tonight (Sunday).”

-Punchwp_posts