Aviation Workers Oppose Proposed Law Banning Strike

Aviation workers under the aegis of the National Union of Aviation Transport Employees and Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria have vehemently refused to support the Federal Government’s plans to ban aviation workers from going on strike.

The Secretary-General of the National Union of Aviation Transport Employees, Ochema Aba, who spoke to the Punch insisted that airlines do not render essential services.

He explained that the Minister of Aviation had been informed about the ruling of the National Industrial Court that said that airlines do not render essential services.

Aba noted that the National Assembly wrote to the unions informing them that none of the Acts of the agencies that had been recently passed by the National Assembly had a clause restricting unions from striking.

He said, “Maybe the minister is the only one to determine such a law. When he brings the law, we will deal with it but for now, we have a commitment. The National Assembly wrote to us informing us that none of the Acts of the agencies that have been recently passed by the National Assembly has a such clause in it whether accented by the President or waiting for his accent.”

Meanwhile, ghe Federal Government through the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika last week vowed to enforce the section of the Civil Aviation Act (2022) which disallows employees from embarking on strike.

Abah further said the minister wanted to probably manufacture the law because he was working on the basis of his ministry’s ploy to put those clauses in the Act.

“There is no such (clause) as far as we are concerned. If he wants to manufacture one, let him do that. When he brings it out, we would treat it as it is. For us, he has chosen to display his ignorance as a minister of aviation to the world. When the unions go on strike maybe only he will manufacture some police and a court to handle such eventuality,” he stated.