Aviation unions, FG reach truce, end strike

The Joint Aviation Unions that embarked on industrial action on Wednesday to demand better working conditions have called off their strike after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government.

National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) had joined the industrial action.

They were demanding a review of the staff conditions of service, return to the original organogram of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and inauguration of its board, among other demands.

After negotiations between the leadership of the unions and Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in a meeting lasted for about three hours they signed agreement to resolve the issues amicably about 6pm yesterday.

National of President of ATSSSAN, Illistrus Ahmadu, who spoke on behalf of the unions, said agreements were reached with Sirika, who promised to look into their demands, with a view to addressing them as quickly as possible.

“On the conditions of service, he promised to personally visit the National Salaries and Wages Commission to push for its approval. He also assured us of government’s readiness to constitute committee to look into the issue of organogram within seven days.

“We are going back to Lagos tomorrow to inform our people of the agreement we have reached and call off the strike,” he said.

Sirika expressed commitment to ensure that all issues were resolved as soon as practicable, saying the issue of non-conformity with the act on appointment of NCAA’s board would be looked onto to ensure that it was constituted.

“On the condition of service, which is outside the purview of the ministry, I have volunteered to go to the Salaries and Wages Commission to try to facilitate the process.

“On the issue of organogram, which is the crux of the matter, we have agreed to set up a committee to work out the best acceptable way to all of us. The committee will not be lopsided, we will have them in the committee so that we can look it because there some things that went wrong,” he added.