National Union of Air Transportation Employees (NUATE) has warned that Nigerian aviation agencies are on verge of collapse over continuous deduction of their 50 per cent Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs) by Federal Government.
Gatekeepers News reports that the union revealed this through a communique jointly signed by Comrades Ben Nnabue and Ocheme Aba, President and General Secretary, respectively, at the end of its 2024 Post May Day Conference, held in Owerri, Imo State recently.
NUATE warned that compulsory contributions of the agency to Treasury Single Account (TSA) were impacting negatively their activities.
It lamented that since government began deductions a few years ago and increased it to 50 per cent by this administration in late 2023, the agencies had not been able to carry out their safety critical roles and pay staff remunerations with only half of their incomes.
The union noted that the agencies are not profit-making, but cost-recovery organisations and wondered why they were included in deductions.
It added: “To collaborate with other industry trade unions to make a strong case for the exemption for aviation agencies from the 50 per cent deduction at source from the internally generated revenue of the agencies.”
“The conference reasoned that based on facts available, the agencies’ collapse is imminent unless the exemption is made. This is because, not being profit making, but cost-recovery agencies, they are unable to carry out their safety critical roles and pay staff remunerations with only half of their incomes.”
“The National Administrative Council (NAC), in session in the course of the conference, ordered a number of actions, including media engagements and peaceful demonstrations at all airports, to draw the attention of the Federal Government to this foisted imminent catastrophe.”
The union further called on Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to reconsider closure of NAHCO junction gate of Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, to use it as an exit gate.
It emphasised that reopening the facility would greatly ease the pains of customers, clients, workers of ground handling, and ancillary businesses presently experiencing strains occasioned by the reconfiguration of international airport roads.
NUATE charged FAAN to bring about greater synergy among its aviation security personnel and private aviation security providers, as well as with other airport workers.
The union argued that this would reduce frictions, among the security personnel in the industry, curtail bullying and other such misgivings.
It added,” To urge all employers of labour in the industry to act with dispatch and compassion to assure the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage Act, and thereby cushion the ravaging hunger among the aviation community, as in the rest of the society.”
“The conference calls on all aviation employers to prioritise the training and retraining of employees as the bedrock of professionalism, and in order to provide assurance of continued safety and security of aviation services.”
