Aviation Workers Cease Strike

By Kathy Kyari

Local and international flight travelers may finally breathe a sigh of relief as airports all throughout the nation are gradually returning to normal thanks to the start of smooth passenger facilitation.

Following the cessation of the strike by aviation unions over the revision of member salaries at the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO, this has just happened.

The National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, and the firm management met for three hours before calling off the strike.

Following the industrial action taken by NAHCO employees over the company's inability to review their existing salary since June 2022, flight operations were halted on Monday morning.

Numerous travelers, both domestic and foreign, were left stranded at the Lagos airports as a result of flight cancellations caused by the strike, which also affected airports in other parts of the nation.

The National Union of Air Transport Employees, or NUATE, and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, or ATSSSAN, Secretaries General of the Unions in NAHCO, remarked that their workers went on strike since the NAHCO management handled their seven-day ultimatum with kid gloves.

They said that the management continued to take advantage of their intelligence by scheduling pointless meetings.

In accordance with the decision made at the conclusion of the meeting, all personnel have been ordered to return work immediately, with Wednesday's negotiations for the wellbeing of all employees.

In response to the strike, Mr. Nnaji Nnolim, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, had earlier made a public appeal to the company's management and labor groups to engage in talks and prevent further interruption of aviation operations.

Mr. Nnaji advised the union to calm down and express sympathy for the suffering the move would cause innocent Nigerian travelers both domestically and abroad.

Dr. Olusola Obabori, group executive director of NAHCO, commented on the situation by saying that the company had involved the unions and other parties because they understood the value of negotiation.