INDUSTRIAL ACTION : APFFLON BEGS AVIATION UNIONS TO EXERCISE MORE PATIENCE
By Mcanthony Onuoha
Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria- APFFLON, has urged Unions in the Aviation Industry to reconsider their stance on planned Industrial action.
The Unions on the 13th of April, 2023, threatened to embark on a 2 -day warning strike over the non-release of the reviewed Condition of Service-CoS as negotiated between agencies for upwards of nine years.
HON.MINISTER OF AVIATION, HADI SIRAKA
The National Union of Air Transport Employers, Air Transport Services Senior Association of Nigeria, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees jointly issued the threat for an indefinite strike if the warning strike is not taken seriously and their demands not met.
Included in their demands are non- implementation of minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency- NiMet since 2019 and the planned demolition exercise by the Minister of Aviation of headquarters annex building of the aviation agencies in Lagos.
Meanwhile, APFFLON, through its National President, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, in a statement he personally signed and made available to The Prestige Magazine Online, passionately appealed to the leaderships of the Unions to reconsider their stance on the planned Industrial action to save an already distressed nation from further crises.
Ogunojemite in the statement lamented the dwindling economy as well as the hardships being faced by the populace due to “obvious leadership failure and high level of negligence and corruption” and begged the Union to exercise a little more patience since the present administration is already at the exit gate.
In his words, ” The planned Industrial action by the Unions is well within their rights and in my opinion these demands should be attended to. It is indeed worrisome that the Unions had on February 7, 2023, issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Honourable Minister of Aviation and other aviation parastatals over the same demands and up until now are yet to be attended to. I think it is very annoying, and no one can blame them for taking any action to drive home their demands.”
“Nevertheless, l know full well that the leaderships of the Unions and their members are all patriotic Nigerians as well as critical stakeholders in the Aviation Industry, they all know what the country is currently passing through, it is distressed already, people are passing through a lot. On behalf of the Federal Government, Airport users and the Country in general, APFFLON sincerely urge them to reconsider their stance, exercise a little more patience as we all hope that the incoming administration would address these critical Industrial issues. There is urgent need for Government to look into their prayers and that of Maritime Worker’s Union of Nigeria-MWUN to end these agitations”.
” Once again, l call upon the leaders to shelve the planned Industrial action for a little while as we hope and expect better days ahead by the grace of God Almighty. Nigeria belongs to all of us and we must not run it aground but be at its rescue in any way we can”, Ogunojemite stated.
