Aviation workers’ unions have announced a peaceful protest set for September 18, 2024, due to unresolved disputes with the Federal Government.
According to a joint statement signed by unin leaders, including the General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Ocheme Aba, and the Deputy General Secretarary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Frances Akinjole, the protest will be held nationwide at all airports.
The Unions, including the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Employees, are demanding the reversal of a 50% deduction policy applied to the internally generated revenue of several aviation agencies.
These agencies include the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), among others.
The protest instigates from the unions’ frustration with the government’s refusal to adjust the deduction policy, which initially started at 25 per cent in 2022, escalated to 40 per cent, and reached 50 per cent by January 2024.
The unions argue that the affected agencies are cost-recovery entities, not profit-driven, and cannot function with half of their revenue being deducted.
Despite efforts to negotiate with the government and an ultimatum given to the Minister of Aviation in August 2024, the unions claim that their demands have been ignored.
