The unions said they would withdraw services from midnight on Monday
In compliance with the directive of the organised labour to embark on an indefinite strike, the aviation unions in Nigeria have directed their members to withdraw services at all the country's airports.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the unions after an emergency meeting in Abuja on Sunday.
The unions are the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).
The directive comes as all affiliates of both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) commenced mobilisation to ensure the strike was successful.
In the joint statement signed by the General Secretary of NUATE, Ocheme Aba; Deputy General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Frances Akinjole; Secretary-General of ANAP, Abdul Rasaq Saidu; and General Secretary of NAAPE Olayinka Abioye, the aviation unions said the withdrawal of services will take effect from midnight on Monday as announced by the NLC and TUC.
"In compliance with the directive from our labour organisations--Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria--we hereby inform the general public, aviation service providers, airline operators, aviation businesses, and all aviation workers nationwide that starting from 0000hrs of 3 June 2024, all services at all Nigerian airports shall be fully withdrawn until further notice," the unions said.
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International terminal to be closed on Tuesday
The unions acknowledged the complexities of international travel and said the strike at international terminals would begin on 4 June.
They urged all aviation workers to recognise the significance of the strike and comply fully, assuring that branch officers would ensure complete compliance across all the airports.
The NLC and TUC, on Friday, announced their decision to embark on an indefinite nationwide industrial action on Monday over the failure of the federal government to conclude and pass into law a new National Minimum Wage Act, and its refusal to reverse the electricity tariff hike from N225/kWh to N65/kWh.
At a joint press conference held in Abuja, shortly after exiting the negotiation meeting with the federal government for a new minimum wage, Presidents of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, and the TUC, Festus Osifo, said Friday's meeting with government representatives further demonstrated the unseriousness and contempt with which the Nigerian state holds the demands of Nigerian workers and people.
They lamented the situation whereby no 'big personality' was present on the side of the federal government with the appropriate authority to commit to any outcome, saying that it was indicative that the government had abandoned the meeting.
The labour leadership specifically noted that no governor was present at the meeting, just as ministers were absent except the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who doubles as a conciliator.
