There was heavy traffic movement this morning at the local wing of the Lagos airport as aviation unions embarked on a peaceful protest over some clauses in the aviation bill passed by the National Assembly.
The unions officials and their members matched around the domestic terminals chanting solidarity songs and carried placards that read:
“Our strength is in our union, Aviation Ministry should not regulate labour, Our right to protest is covered under ILO Convention, Banning workers from unionism is evil, The workers mouth cannot be gagged by any legislation”.
The early morning rains in Lagos did not stop the protesting unions from demanding and insisting that the clause in the bill be removed for the sake of industrial harmony.
Gates and Offices of FAAN, NAMA and the NCAA were locked as all members of the three unions, NUATE, ATSSSAN, ANAP and NAAPE joined in the protest.
The unions say, the clause as contained in the bill says, they cannot embark on strike, the minister of aviation will henceforth directs the affairs of the unions and it classify them as essential personnel which is in variance with the ILO Convention.
The unions leadership say, this is a plan by those who smuggled in this clause into the bill to deny them of their rights of Association and of expression.
They said if no action is taken to expunge the clause after 14 days, aviation workers will embark on a full blown strike.
The unions also kicked over provisions in the bill, which gives the Minister of Aviation overriding powers to direct affairs on issues affecting trade unions in the industry, which they have described as usurpation of the duties of the Ministry of Labour.
Ocheme Aba Secretary General NUATE, while giving details on the matter said classifying aviation workers as essential services personnel is at variance with ILO categorization.
He said withdrawal of services by personnel that threatens lives could be described as essential , for which the transport sector does not qualify.
According to him, only air traffic control services qualify as essential: because their advisory function to aircraft in flight.
He said aviation unions have carried along the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress along in the bid to reverse the ugly trend ; which seeks to muzzle aviation workers.
