Aviation workers across Nigeria are set to embark on a nationwide strike on August 21, 2024, in protest against the Federal Government’s ongoing deduction of 50 percent from the internally generated revenue of key aviation agencies.
The strike, announced in a letter dated August 14, 2024, titled “Save Aviation From Collapse,” has raised concerns about potential disruptions to flight operations nationwide.
The affected agencies include the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Services Agency (NiMet), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
In their statement, the unions argued that these deductions have placed significant financial strain on the agencies, jeopardizing critical safety activities and the overall functionality of the aviation sector. They warned that the continued financial pressure could lead to a breakdown in operations, for which they would not be held responsible.
“All workers of the NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, NiMet, NCAT, and NSIB, joined by the solidarity of all aviation workers, are hereby directed to embark on peaceful protests at all airports nationwide on Wednesday, August 21, 2024,” the unions stated. “All efforts on our part have failed to impress upon the Federal Government that all the agencies are cost recovery and not profit-making organisations.”
The unions have directed all state councils, women’s commissions, youth councils, and branches of their unions nationwide to mobilize for the protest.
In response, the NCAA cautioned that the planned strike could severely disrupt airport operations. Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, emphasized the risks, stating that essential services could be compromised if the strike proceeds. He expressed hope that dialogue between the unions and the aviation minister would prevent the strike and address the workers’ concerns.
Nnadi Hector, Secretary of the Joint Aviation Trade Unions Forum, clarified that the protest is not aimed at President Bola Tinubu but is intended to draw attention to the detrimental impact of the revenue deductions on the aviation industry. He stressed the importance of maintaining global standards in aviation and the need for the government to address the unions’ grievances promptly.
Aviation workers are set to stage a nationwide strike on August 21, 2024, in protest against the Federal Government’s continued deduction of 50 per cent from the internally generated revenue of key aviation agencies.
But the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority called for caution, stating that embarking on strike in the sector would disrupt flight activities nationwide.
The unions made their decision known in a letter dated August 14, 2024, titled, “Save Aviation From Collapse”, and released to journalists on Thursday.
The affected agencies in the sector include the NCAA, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Meteorological Services Agency, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
“All workers of the NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, NiMet, NCAT, and NSIB, joined by the solidarity of all aviation workers, are hereby directed to embark on peaceful protests at all airports nationwide on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 to demand the discontinuation of deduction of 50 per cent from the internally generated revenue of the agencies mentioned above through exemption.
“All efforts on our part have failed to impress upon the Federal Government that all the agencies are cost recovery and not profit-making organisations. As such they cannot survive on half of their incomes under any model of administration or any other guise whatsoever,” the stated.
The unions warned that critical safety activities within these agencies were already being compromised due to the financial strain imposed by the deductions. They cautioned that they would not be held responsible if the aviation industry becomes dysfunctional due to these financial constraints.
