Aviation workers threaten strike over salary cuts

Aviation workers have threatened to go on strike in two weeks time if workers salaries are not paid in full.

Four major unions in the aviation sector are fronting this cause and they addressed an open letter to President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) titled ‘To avert crisis in the aviation industry," to protest their grievances.

The unions include the National Union of Air Transport Employees; Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria; Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals; and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees.

The contents of the letter highlighted aviation workers plight and asked the government to at least pay last month salaries.

They noted that at the same time, the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency had informed its in-house unions about its inability to continue to pay normal salaries.

Part of the letter reads, “Most aviation companies have sent their workers home without salaries for months now, while some are paying only a fraction of salaries to workers on essential duties who are compelled to come to work.

“While the adverse socioeconomic situation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic is an act of God, there can be little debate that workers have been dealt a larger portion of the burden to bear due to no fault of theirs.”

"This burden has become exceedingly telling on the workers and the cost has become unbearable. Our unions can no longer contain the wailings of our members, the aviation workers.

“In the light of the above reality, our unions are constrained to serve notice that should the situation of no salary or incomplete salary remain beyond June 15, 2020, the only option left for our unions will be to ask all aviation workers to remain at home pending when their salaries can be guaranteed.”