The minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has expressed displeasure over the recent strike actions spearheaded by industry unions in the sector, saying, dialogue should be embraced instead of strike.
LEADERSHIP reports that aviation workers, last week, embarked on a 2-day warning strike led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Nigerian Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), and the Engineers Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employers.
The unions claim that their demands, include; the implementation of new minimum wage consequential adjustment with arrears for the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) since 2019 and the release of the reviewed conditions of service for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria and NIMET.
The unions also demanded a stop to the planned demolition of the office building of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), by the minister of Aviation.
However, Sirika, while speaking on Wednesday in Lagos during the opening ceremony of the three days conference jointly organised by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the Joint Aviation Trade Unions Forum (JATUF), titled, ‘Re-Inventing Trade Unionism for Sustainable Growth and Development in the Nigerian Aviation Sector’, said the Ministry of Aviation and the various managements in the sector had been working harmoniously with the unions since the government came onboard in 2015.
Sirika who was represented by the director, Human Resource Management, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Nkechi Nwokocha, however, wondered why some of the associations were embarking on strike towards the end of his administration.
Rather than embark on strikes, Sirika called for dialogue between the managements and the unions to resolve industrial matters in the sector.
Sirika insisted that there should be paradigm shift from the unions on how they deal with the government, insisting that, the sector could only witness growth when all parties work in unison.
He stressed that, “the minister is very pained that the unions are coming up with the issue of strikes at this time that he’s about to leave the office. He has been working with the unions over the years, but he feels the unions want to rubbish all he has done over the years with them with these strikes.
“The minister is very pained that the unions are coming up with the issue of strikes at this time that he’s about to leave the office. He has been working with the unions over the years, but he feels the unions want to rubbish all he has done over the years with them with these strikes.
“You (unions) need a paradigm shift on how you deal with the government on any critical issues at hand. Whenever the unions move with the government, there will always be positive results. We are partners in progress. A good working environment will cause workers to deliver their best.”
Earlier, the president, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE, Engr. Abednego Galadima, in his welcome address, said, it was necessary for all organisations in the sector to measure up with the developments in the global aviation industry.
Galadima also said, for unions to continue to be relevant in the sector, it needed to adopt innovations by leveraging on latest technologies in the sector.
He further canvassed for democracy in critical decisions making by the unions and aviation agencies and appealed to private organisations in the sector not to take the unions as rivals, but as partners in progress.
He added that: “unions need to strategise their financial capacity to enable us render help to members and not necessarily going to organisations for help.
“The leadership conference is an opportunity to train union leaders. We want leadership that will evolve with strategic alliance, partnership and collaboration. This has to be sustained among the unions.”
Also, the President, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Kabir Gusau, called on the government to always honour agreements.
Talking on the recent two days warning strike, which paralysed activities in the sector, Gusau pointed out that
the unions were pushed to the wall by the government to take the action.
He decried that the government over the years had continued to treat issues affecting the workers with levity.
