Aviation unions have advised air travellers to make alternative travel arrangements as activities at the airports will be grounded by day 2 of their warning strike on Tuesday 18 April 2023.
Speaking to Newsmen at the Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport Abuja, the secretary general Amalgamated Union, Comrade Sikiru Waheed who spoke for the striking workers said though it has been approved since 2009, aviation workers do not enjoy consequential adjustment and for the most part minimum wage which is the bone of contention .
According to him the issue had been taken up several times with the ministries of aviation and labour without yielding results hence the decision to strike.
” The condition of service is the main issue and payment of minimum wage. Consequential adjustment has been an issue, people go to the same market”.
“Since 2009 this issue has been approved by the federal government for all workers in Nigeria but you will be surprised that the aviation industry is not enjoying this minimum wage and consequential adjustment”.
Waheed said though they had soft peddled the first day of the warning strike and allowed normal operations, passengers should avoid booking flights for April 18, day two of the strike as they would shut down the airport operations completely.
Passengers who flew in from Benin, Portharcourt ,Asaba and Lagos airports said normal activities were ongoing at those airports and they flew without hitches. At the departure 2ing of NAIA, passengers could be seen checking in. A source said the Unions had blocked the entrance to departure earlier but gave way 2hen passengers appealed to them.
A passenger who spoke on condition of anonymity said strikes were normal and a healthy way of negotiating and should be encouraged if peaceful.
Meanwhile, the ministry of aviation has issued a statement saying consequential adjustment has been approved and is in the implementation stage, appealing to the workers to sheath their swords and call off the strike.
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