Air transport unions have suspended their picketing of Air Peace following intervention by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. The suspension came after labour unions disrupted operations of Nigeria’s largest airline, leaving passengers stranded at airports in Lagos and Abuja.
The General Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSAN, Frances Akinjole, confirmed the development to Vanguard. Akinjole said the minister had intervened and that representatives of the unions would meet with Keyamo in Abuja on Thursday.
The unions had commenced picketing of Air Peace in the early hours of Tuesday as part of efforts to press their demands against the airline. The action affected passengers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The industrial action followed a three-day strike notice issued by ATSSAN and the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, on August 7. The unions had accused Air Peace and other airlines of failing to remit the mandatory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge, TSC. They were also demanding that workers employed by the affected airlines be allowed to unionise.
The disruption extended beyond Air Peace as United Nigeria Airlines and Enugu Air also temporarily suspended their operations.
The airlines reportedly took the step as a precaution to protect the safety of passengers and crew amid the industrial action. The unions had maintained that their action was aimed at compelling Air Peace to address the outstanding TSC payments and respect workers’ rights to union representation.
The intervention by the aviation minister has now temporarily halted the picketing. ATSSAN confirmed that the unions would attend a meeting with Keyamo in Abuja on Thursday to discuss the issues behind the dispute.
The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for the unions, government and affected stakeholders to address the outstanding concerns and seek a resolution to the dispute. For passengers and airlines affected by the disruption, the suspension provides temporary relief as negotiations begin between the unions and the aviation authorities.
