Aviation Strike: AFARN President warns against messy disruption in flight schedules
Story from Vivian DANIEL, Abuja
The president of the Association of Foreign Airlines & Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN), Mr Kingsley Nwokoma, has urged the federal government to hold meetings and conversations with the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other parties involved in the proposed two-day warning strike and resolve the matter.
Speaking to Neptune Prime in an exclusive telephone conversation, Nwokoma said government’s major reasons for the demolition exercise of all the agency buildings in Lagos by the Minister of Aviation for an airport city project are also safety-related, which is in relationship with aircraft parking and manoeuvring for the foreign airlines and aerotropolis.
There is no doubt the fact that the proposed two-day warning strike embarked upon by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) starting on Monday, April 17th and 18th, 2023 would likely impact travellers in Nigeria, especially those who have planned their trips, among other disruptions.
Mr Kingsley further stated that any form of disruption in the aviation sector will affect the Airlines’ Network Punctuality because if an aircraft is scheduled to land and take off to different destinations at a particular time – to do their general turnover and the traffic controllers, and other essential airline workers are not on duty, it would be messy.
It should be recalled that the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Chapter, had urged the intending passengers and stakeholders to make contingency plans in order to avoid missing their appointments.
The management said in a statement on Monday in Abuja that any inconvenience that could be experienced was highly regretted.
“The management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport wishes to inform the general public of the Aviation Union`s planned two days warning strikes scheduled to start Monday, April 17, 2023.
“The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Management wishes to inform the general public that the airport will be opened for operation as usual. You may however wish to note that there may be disruptions in flight operations as a result of the planned strike action.
“Intending passengers and stakeholders are kindly advised and noted so as to make contingency plans in order to avoid missing their flights and appointments. Any inconvenience experienced is highly regretted, “the management said.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the unions say there is no going back on the total shutdown of aviation activities in the country on Monday and Tuesday.
The strike is being led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Nigerian Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), and the Engineers Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employers.
The unions claim that their demands, including the implementation of new minimum wage consequential adjustment with arrears for the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) since 2019 and the release of the reviewed conditions of service for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria and NIMET, have not been met despite issuing an ultimatum to the minister of aviation and the chief executive officers of the agencies.
The unions had earlier in a notice to their members across airports in the country and aviation agencies issued a two-day warning strike to press home their demands for workers’ entitlements.
Their demands include approval and implementation of the agreement Condition of Service, CoS, as agreed between them and the agencies by the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
Others are; the non-implementation of minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NiMet since 2019 and the planned demolition exercise of all the agency buildings in Lagos by the Minister of Aviation for an airport city project.
The workers added that they had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Minister of Aviation on February 7, 2023, on the same matters but were not given due credence by the government.
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