Four aviation unions ; 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 Engineers (NAAPE) said on Tuesday that will begin a nationwide indefinite strike on Wednesday May 22, 2019 over the failure of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to resolve concerns raised over the faulty organogram in the authority.
The unions said they had to embark on the industrial action following collapsed efforts by the Ministry of Transport, Aviation Unit, to handle their complaints about organogram in NCAA and sundry issues.
The nationwide action begins by 5am.
The circular directing NCAA workers to proceed on the industrial action was signed by Comrades Ocheme Aba, Frances Akinjole, Abdul Rasaq Saidu and Umoh Ofonime, for NUATE, ATSSSAN, ANAP and NAAPE, respectively.
According to the unions, at the expiration of the ultimatum on Monday, the ministry and the management of NCAA had failed to address any of the demands raised, threatening that the agency would remain grounded until the issues were addressed.
NCAA is the regulatory agency in the Nigerian aviation industry. If the unions make good their threat, it indicates that no aircraft or technical personnel would operate and work in the industry.
NCAA as the regulator, it has inspectors across the nation’s airports who usually inspect aircraft before they are deployed for operations.
The unions added that the planned picketing of NCAA would only be avoided if the government immediately implemented the new organogram for NCAA as agreed by the ministry, the management of NCAA and the unions.
It also said the management must immediately review the conditions of service as negotiated with the management, adding that it must also inaugurate the Governing Board of NCAA as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.
The circular reads in part: “As you are all aware, our unions issued a seven days ultimatum to Federal Ministry of Transport (Aviation) AND NCAA over sundry issues. The ultimatum expired on Monday 22, May 2019.
“All this time, the ministry of transport (aviation) has completely rejected the ultimatum, while the NCAA has reacted with only halfhearted measures. This means that no single item on the demands list has been ameliorated.
“Having therefore exhausted all efforts and patience on the issues, and left with no other option, our unions hereby direct all staff of NCAA nationwide to commence an indefinite industrial action with effect from 0500hrs on Wednesday 22nd May, 2019.
“For the above purpose, all NCAA workers are to assemble at the entrance/gate of their various work places and take directive from Branch union officers on location until directed otherwise.”
According to the unions, at the expiration of the ultimatum on Monday, the ministry and the management of NCAA had failed to address any of the demands raised, threatening that the agency would remain grounded until the issues were addressed.
NCAA is the regulatory agency in the Nigerian aviation industry. If the unions make good their threat, it indicates that no aircraft or technical personnel would operate and work in the industry.
NCAA as the regulator, it has inspectors across the nation’s airports who usually inspect aircraft before they are deployed for operations.
The unions added that the planned picketing of NCAA would only be avoided if the government immediately implemented the new organogram for NCAA as agreed by the ministry, the management of NCAA and the unions.
It also said the management must immediately review the conditions of service as negotiated with the management, adding that it must also inaugurate the Governing Board of NCAA as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.
The circular reads in part: “As you are all aware, our unions issued a seven days ultimatum to Federal Ministry of Transport (Aviation) AND NCAA over sundry issues. The ultimatum expired on Monday 22, May 2019.
“All this time, the ministry of transport (aviation) has completely rejected the ultimatum, while the NCAA has reacted with only halfhearted measures. This means that no single item on the demands list has been ameliorated.
“Having therefore exhausted all efforts and patience on the issues, and left with no other option, our unions hereby direct all staff of NCAA nationwide to commence an indefinite industrial action with effect from 0500hrs on Wednesday 22nd May, 2019.
“For the above purpose, all NCAA workers are to assemble at the entrance/gate of their various work places and take directive from Branch union officers on location until directed otherwise.”
