
The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, has served notice of picketing to 7 domestic airlines in the country for refusing their staff membership of the union.
The airlines are Dana, Medview, AZMAN, Overland, FirstNation, AirPeace and Jed airlines.
At the end of its Executive Council Meeting in Lagos, President of NAAPE, Abenego Galadima said NAAPE would carry out picketing of any airlines that refuses to comply with the law as far as the union’s right to unionise is concerned without further notice.
He said, ” NAAPE is deeply worried that many airlines continue to resist our efforts to unionise our members in their employ. These airlines continue to hold their workers in slave labour conditions, without conditions and schemes of service. Such denial of recognition to our union, and denial of the rights of the workers to belong to the union of their choice contravenes sections of the labour Act as well as fundamental principles of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
The NAAPE National President stressed that the association would no longer condone this lawless behaviour by the airlines, especially as several efforts by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment have failed to bring about a change of heart in the airlines.
” it is important to state clearly that this recalcitrance by these airlines pose grave danger to safety in the aviation industry”.
On Aero contractor staff laid off and declared redundant due to the financial difficult of the airline, Galadima said “after the redundancy package negotiated by the unions on behalf of the workers, the Receiver Manager of Aero contractor, under the prompting of AMCON, has crossed the line by his unguided action of unilaterally throwing the workers affected by the redundancy exercise out of the airline without paying them their redundancy benefits, even as meager as these benefits are”
He said in defence of the workers rights, NAAPE had decided to declare a nationwide strike in demonstration of their abhorrence of the inhuman treatment meted out to the unfortunate workers of Aero contractor.
” this strike action will commence at a soon to be announced date after we finalize consultation with other aviation unions, our friends in NUPENG, NUEE, and other friendly unions in the ULC family”

Galadima called on the Federal Government through the Ministers of Labour and Employment, state aviation, senate committee of aviation, House committee on aviation, leaders of the business community, the Diplomatic community, airport users, and the general public to prevail on AMCON to do the needful with regards to the rights of the workers of aero contractors to avert the imminent crisis of shutting down Nigeria’s aviation industry.