Some members of aviation unions who are affiliates of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the United Labour Congress on Friday disrupted flight operations for over four hours at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
The unions who are demanding for the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage stormed the airport in their numbers and prevented passengers from checking in for their flights.
The unions in the sector are: the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE).
Others are the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP).
The airlines affected by the action were Air Peace and Arik Air at the GAT which led to confrontations between the airlines officials and the unionists.
Reacting to the development,
Mr Chris Iwarah, Corporate Communications Manager, Air Peace, described the unions action as totally uncalled for because the airline's staffers did not belong to any labour organisation.
Iwarah said all the airlines morning flight schedule was affected by the restriction of passengers' access to the GAT by the airline.
He said :" Early this morning, some members of the aviation unions barricaded our terminal and prevented our guests from flying in protest for the implementation of the national minimum wage.
"This is very unfortunate because they have no right to force our workers to join unions or join their agitations for increased pay.
"We don't know how your increased pay will benefit us as a people in Air Peace. So, going to stop our operations is simply an act of provocation and they have no such rights."
However, the spokesperson for the Lagos Airport Police Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, said security operatives were alerted of the situation and quickly restored order.
"Our men are on ground and everywhere is calm. The unions are not preventing people from boarding and the airlines are carrying out their operations without any hindrance," Alabi said.
The organised labour had called for a nationwide warning strike effective midnight Sept. 26 to press home their demands for the increment of the minimum wage.
For the second day running, the unions in compliance with the directive, had
barricaded the offices of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
Also shut down were the headquarters of the Accident Investigation Bureau and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
The unions, in a joint statement said the general strike in the sector would begin on Oct. 2 due to the ongoing NUATE delegate conference in Asaba, Delta State.
The statement was signed by Mr Mohammed Safiyanu and Mr Olayinka Abioye, President and General Secretary, NUATE and Mr Illitrus Ahmadu and Mr Frances Akinjole, President and General Secretary, ATSSAN.
Other signatories were Mr Abednego Galadima and Mr Ocheme Aba, President and General Secretary, NAAPE and Mr Yahaya Gusau and Mr Rasaq Saidu , President and General Secretary, ANAP.
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