Aviation workers unions have finalized plans to embark on a nationwide airport shutdown starting from September 18, in protest against the Federal Government’s refusal to reverse the 50% deduction policy on internally generated revenues of aviation agencies.
The strike action involves a coalition of five unions – the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
A joint statement released on Thursday by the General Secretary of NUATE, Mr. Ocheme Aba, and the Deputy General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Mr. Frances Akinjole, issued a strike notice on behalf of the aviation unions.
The statement was also signed by other union leaders, including Abdul Rasaq of ANAP, Olayinka Abioye of NAAPE, and Sikiru Waheed of AUPCTRE.
The strike threat stems from the unions’ clamour for the discontinuation of the deduction from the following agencies: the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The Treasury Single Account(TSA) policy, initially introduced with a 25 percent deduction from revenue-generating agencies of the Federal Government in October 2022, escalated to 40 percent shortly after.
However, President Bola Tinubu raised the deductions to 50 per cent in January 2024.
The unions warned that critical safety activities within these agencies were already being compromised due to the financial strain imposed by the deductions.
They further cautioned that they would not be held responsible if the aviation industry becomes dysfunctional due to these financial constraints.
The statement reads in part: “All efforts on our part have failed to impress it upon the Federal Government that all the Agencies are cost recovery, and not profit making, organizations.
“As such they cannot survive on half of their incomes under any model of administration or any other guise whatsoever.
“The ultimatum given to the Minister of Aviation on the same has expired since the end of August 2024.
“Information available to us indicates that some important safety critical activities of the Agencies are grinding to a halt under the yoke of the deductions.
“It has, therefore, become incumbent on us as trade unions and workers in aviation to let the public and the government be aware that we shall bear no responsibility in the event that the industry becomes dysfunctional as a result of financial incapacity due to the deductions at source.
“All state councils, women commissions committees, youth councils and branches of our unions nationwide are to fully mobilise for, and ensure full compliance and success of the peaceful protests.”
Persecondnews recalls that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), had earlier urged the aviation unions to exercise restraint over the issue.
Keyamo pledged that the Federal Government would work towards a permanent resolution that reconciles its financial requirements with the operational necessities of the aviation agencies, ensuring a mutually beneficial outcome.
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