Yemisi Izuora
The delay on the part of the Federal Government to accede to the demands of the organized labour towards implementing a national minimum wage of N30,000 had led the coalition of airport workers to declare their intentions to join the impending strike on November 6th 2018.
State governors had agreed on a minimum wage of N22,500 which was outrightly rejected by the organized labour.
The airport workers’ associations involved are National Union of Air Transport Workers (NUATE); Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN); National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP).
The notification co-signed by Temenu Akinola (NUATE), Francis Akinjole (ATSSSAN), Abdul Rasaq Saidu (ANAP) and Ocheme Aba (NAAPE) reads:
“As you are all aware, the NLC, TUC and ULC have jointly declared an indefinite national strike action commencing from November 6, 2018 over the vexed issue of Government unwillingness to implement the report of the tripartite committee on minimum wage review.
“In complying with the directive of the Labour Centres, therefore, we issue this notice to all workers in the avaition sector to withdraw all services from 00:00 hours of November 6, 2018.
“This notice also applies to all businesses and agencies involved with the aviation to be aware of the above situation and adjust their businesses accordingly.
“The general public, especially the international travelling public, are equally notified to avoid, or cancel plans to utilize aviation services within the period of the strike.
“For emphasis, all workers must comply with this directive as our Unions will not tolerate any sabotage of the strike action.
But speaking with our Correspondent, president of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association, NATCA, Victor Eyaru, said they association is going on with its international conference of air traffic controllers in Abuja.
Eyaru said they will not jettison the conference which it considered very critical at this moment.