The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) says, plans are underway to stage a protest at the offices of local airlines over refusal for their workers to join trade unions of their choice.
The union alleged this refusal is a violation of labor laws and a form of “slave labor.”
President of NUATE, comrade Ben Nnabue, disclosed this during the National Campaign for the Unionization of Private Domestic Airlines in Nigeria at the local wing of the Lagos airport.
Members of the union chanted solidarity songs and carried placards with different inscriptions such as “To belong to a trade union is a right, no negotiation, The worker needs trade union protection, A worker without negotiated terms of employment is but a slave amongst others.
The protest is seen as a last attempt to resolve the issue through dialogue before resorting to more drastic measures.
Comrade Nnabue stated that the union has received the backing of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) in carrying out the protest.
According to him, the union has been pushing for the right of workers to unionize for five years, but yet to see any meaningful action from the government.
The union’s General Secretary, comrade Ocheme Aba, added that allowing workers to join trade unions is in the best interest of airlines and organizations in the aviation sector.
The union warned that if the airlines do not comply with their demands, they will be forced to take further action, including picketing their offices.
