The aviation unions have once again issued a fresh three-day strike notice to defaulting domestic airlines.

The unions accused the airline carriers of obstructing workers’ unionisation and withholding the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) collected from passengers.

In a joint notice signed by the General Secretaries of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Frances Akinjole, and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade John Igene, respectively, the unions said the strike notice followed their decision to relax the picketing notice issued on August 4, 2026.

The unions copied the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the Nigeria Police divisions at airports across the country and the Department of State Services (DSS) in the latest notice.

The unions warned that they could commence industrial action after the three-day notice expires if the affected airlines failed to address their grievances.

The unions had earlier threatened to commence picketing of airlines over the non-remittance of the five per cent TSC, which they described as operational funds meant for aviation agencies.

According to the unions, their latest action was necessitated by the alleged “infractions” committed by some domestic airlines, particularly restrictions on workers’ freedom to join trade unions of their choice.

They purported that several airlines had made it difficult for their employees to unionise, claiming that workers were afraid to even express their intention to belong to unions of their choice.

The notice read in part: “Making unfettered unionisation of staff in their organisation impossible after several efforts by the aviation unions. Their workers dare not even express the intention to belong to unions of their choices.

“Non-remittance of the already collected, but withheld 5 per cent ticket sales charge, which is the operational fund of the aviation agencies, thereby rendering our members negotiated collected bargaining agreements at the aviation agencies nugatory so far. This continues to breed disgruntled air transport workers, the implication, which is accident in the waiting.”

The unions argued that the alleged withholding of the funds had affected the implementation of negotiated conditions of service for workers in the agencies.

They warned that the situation was creating hopelessness among aviation workers and could have grave implications for the industry.

The two unions demanded that the affected airlines immediately issue circulars and other direct communications to their employees, which would enable them to join unions of their choice without fear of victimisation.

They also demanded the immediate remittance of the outstanding five per cent TSC, which they described as “seized operational funds” of aviation agencies.

They posited that the remittance was necessary to enable the agencies to implement the conditions of service negotiated for their workers.