Aviation Workers have protested against being tagged essential workers.
The union Sunday staged a peaceful protest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Internation Airport Abuja against the new insertion in the Aviation Bill before the National Assembly that classifies them as essential service providers..
The protesting workers carried different placcards saying “Buhari don’t assent to anti-union aviation bill/act”, our voices must be heard, protest is our right’, ‘when injustice becomes law resistance becomes a duty’ among others.
State Council Chairman of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE). Abuja Comrade Dauda Nambol who spoke to newsmen stated that the protest was premised on the illegal clause inserted into the Aviation Bill
According to Nambol, the classification as essential workers means that
they would be exempted from all the instruments of their actions, tl would not be allowed to carry out strikes, picketing or lock-out which he says are the instruments of their struggles as enshrined in the International Labour Organization (ILO) convention.
“We are comrades and this is our right’ as workers if we fill dissatisfied over any issue we have the right to protest and we will not allow anybody take away that right. We are calling on the President not to assent to that bill because that bill is anti-labour and we will make sure we win that struggle” he stated.
He further stated that after the peaceful protest they are giving the government two-weeks to retract the clause, failure to do which would result in the use of all the available instruments to ensure they achieve their struggle.
The controversial clause inserted into the bill for an act said, “1(1) All services which facilitate and maintain the smooth, orderly and safe take off, flight and landing of aircraft, embarkation and disembarkation and evacuation of passengers and cargo respectively in all aerodromes in Nigeria are hereby designated as essential services pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered).
“(2) The Minister may by regulations prohibit all or such class or classes of workers, officers and other employees or persons whether corporate or natural, engaged in the provision of services specified in subsection (1) of this section from taking part in a strike or other industrial action.
” 2(1) The provisions of the Trade Disputes (essential Services) Act, Cap. T9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 shall apply to service in the Agency, facilities managed by the Agency and in the implementation of this Bill. (2) There shall be no strikes, lock-outs, pickets, blockades, service disruptions, etc of any kind within all facilities managed by the Agency and where any labour dispute arises, such dispute shall be resolved by the Agency.
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