The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has stepped in to address the impending strike of Aviation Security (AvSec) and the logistics sub-sector, which was set to begin Wednesday.
The regulatory authority has requested a one-week extension to thoroughly examine and tackle the concerns raised by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) regarding the inadequate compensation of these workers.
Confirming the involvement of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Secretary General of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ocheme Aba, stated that Captain Musa Nuhu, the head of the regulatory body, stepped in and requested an additional week’s time to address the situation.
The union instructed its members to temporarily halt preparations for the strike that was scheduled to begin later today.
At the moment, the union is anticipating an official communication from the NCAA regarding its strategy for intervention.
NUATE, through a circular signed by its General Secretary and distributed to various recipients including the NCAA, the Commissioner of Police at the airport, and the State Security Service, issued a communication titled “Circular Letter To All Aviation Security and Logistics Employers in Nigeria.” In this circular, the union officially communicated its intention to withdraw its members’ services, providing notice of the impending action.
According to the union, the decision to withdraw services was prompted by the ongoing financial hardship faced by employees within the aviation security and logistics sub-sector of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
“As you are all aware, the union has done everything possible to resolve the lingering crisis of extreme impoverishment of employees of Aviation Security (AvSec) & logistics sub-sector of the aviation industry in Nigeria, but to no avail.
“The managements of all the companies in the business have all failed to secure decent contracts that can avail fair remuneration for their workers. With current salary levels as low as N30,000 a month for graduates, there is no gain saying that AvSec employment in Nigeria is nothing other than a slave labour camp; to call a spade a spade.
“This situation can no longer be allowed to continue.
“In this regard, and further to our letter of ultimatum dated 26th June, 2023, all workers in all Aviation Logistics companies in Nigeria are hereby directed to totally withdraw services as from August 16, 2023 indefinitely, until our demand for fair remuneration is met.
The union had instructed the Aviation Security (AVSEC) and logistics sub-sector workers to initiate an immediate strike at Nigerian airports starting Wednesday, due to inadequate wages.
It expressed concern over the meager monthly payment of N30,000 for AVSEC personnel, many of whom hold graduate degrees.