Unions in the Nigerian aviation industry may not immediately participate in the indefinite strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Gatekeepers News reports that the workers were yet to get a directive from the five unions in the sector on their participation.
Also, a search on the websites of the operating airlines in the sector, indicated that the carriers were still selling tickets to various destinations across the country.
One of the spokesmen of the airlines told Nairametrics that the airlines were yet to get any information on the participation of the industry unions in the impending nationwide strike, which starts today (Tuesday).
Also, it was learnt that none of the passengers who had already booked to travel with the airlines to their destinations had yet to receive a cancellation or delayed message from any of the carriers.
The source said, “We have made enquiries from the unions if they will join the nationwide strike, but the feelers we got is that they won’t join tomorrow (Tuesday). All the tickets we already sold for tomorrow and the coming days are still valid. Our travellers can get to the airports and travel as planned.”
Also, the General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ocheme Aba, while confirming this in a telephone conversation said the unions would not participate in the strike on Tuesday.
He, however, said, “None of us (aviation unions) is joining the action immediately. But, we will look at how events unfold to know if we will join the action later, but as it stands, we are not joining in the action immediately.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Railway Workers (NRC) has said that it would join the indefinite strike.
The NLC and the TUC on Monday ordered their affiliates to withdraw their services nationwide from midnight on November 14, 2023.
The strike is also to protest the battering of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and some other executives of the congress in Owerri, Imo State, on November 1, as well as the pending labour issues in Imo State.
