How aviation workers strike shutdown airport activities for Nigeria commercial city

Aviation workers shutdown access roads to di local airport for Lagos state southwest Nigeria on Monday morning as dem do protest against wetin dem describe as poor working conditions. Dis dey come after dia negotiations wit authorities fail.

Di shutdown cause heavy traffic gridlock for di Ikeja axis of di state wia di airport dey located. Pipo no fit drive in and out of di airport including security and emergency vehicles.

Passengers wey dia flights touchdown for di MM1 and MM2 sections of di airport no fit get cabs to move dem out of di airport, plenti of dem trek to go find cabs outside di airport.

Our reporter wey visit di area see plenti passengers wey get flight to catch as dem comot from dia cars, carri dia luggage, dey trek long distance before dem fit enter di airport.

Some of dem say dem no happy say dem meet dis kain condition unexpectedly as dem get planned appointments to catch up wit.

Di strike fit turn indefinite - Workers

Di protesters carri Nigeria Labour Congress flags and placards dey sing solidarity songs. Dem use dia workers union vehicles block all di access points into di airport.

Different worker unions join hands to do di protest. Dem include National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals ANAP, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees, AUPCTRE and di National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE.

One of di leaders of di unions Francis Akinjoye tell BBC Pidgin say dem bin don do long negotiations wit goment but till date, goment never implement di agreements dem reach.

E say part of dia demands na make goment release dia reviewed condition of service wey dem negotiate wit workers since seven years.

"Anoda one na non implementation of di minimum wage adjustments and arrears” - na so Mr Francis tok.

E add say di authorities wan demolish some buildings wey dey house di workers offices without adequate plan to relocate di workers, so dem want make dat plan dey on hold.

Mr Francis say di strike go continue on Tuesday and if afta dat, if goment no yield, dem fit enta indefinite strike and shutdown di airports completely.

Security teams wey include di Nigerian Airforce, Police, Army plus odas spend hours dia dey try negotiate wit di workers to open up di roads.

Security pipo also beat up one journalist from Daily Trust and break im camera as im dey cover di protest.

Authorities react to di protest

Di protest and road block start before 8:00am and continue till about 12 noon wen workers reach agreement wit security pipo to open up di roads.

Few hours afta dat, di Federal Ministry of Aviation release statement say dem no happy say di strike dey hold, say dem bin don dey try to meet wit di demands of di workers.

Di statement wey di head press and public affairs Odutayo Oluseyi sign explain say di protest dey add to di sufferings of citizens, affect flight schedules and go lead to further economic losses.

Ontop di demands of di workers, di ministry say di issue of demolition of some buildings na wetin di unions suppose come do meeting wit dem and sort am out.

On di issue of concession of di airports, di ministry say dat one na part of global best practices wey go help build more infrastructure and make di airports dey more economically viable.

Di statement say di mata of condition of service for some of dia agencies na work in progress. Say soon, di National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission go conclude dia assessment.

On di issue of minimum wage, di ministry say dem don finalize di consequential adjustment of minimum wage and dem go soon begin pay am.

Di ministry call on di workers to call off di strike and come for further negotiations, but give warning say dem go take serious any behaviour of any union wey fit lead to breakdown of law and order for airports.

Meanwhile, di Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, NAIA, Abuja don advise travellers and stakeholders to make oda plans in order to avoid missing dia flights and appointments.

“Di management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, wish to inform di general public of di aviation union planned two-day warning strike wey dey scheduled to start Monday April 17, 2023,” FAAN tok.

Dem add say, “Intending passengers and stakeholders dey kindly advised and note so dem go also make contingency plans in order to avoid missing dia flights and appointments. Any inconvenience experienced dey highly regretted.”

Oda times aviation workers don do strike / protest

For January 2023, passengers hook for Lagos and Abuja airport for Nigeria sake of strike action by staff of di Nigeria Aviation Handling Company.

Reports say NAHCO staff strike sake of poor pay and bad welfare from dia management.

Dia strike affect flight for Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Nnamdi Azikiwe international according to wetin BBC Pidgin find out dat time.

Fotos show how pipo full di airport check-in counter area wit luggage everywia.

For 2019, Nigeria airport workers begin start indefinite strike and later call am off after some days.

Dem cari protest go block office of di headquarters of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority - NCAA.

Di workers bin dey demand beta working conditions and say make goment inaugurate di board of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority plus oda tins.

Di striking unions say goment no meet dia demands upon say dem bin don give goment seven days notice.

Di unions wey join hand dey go strike include National Union of Air Transport Employees NUATE, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ATSSSAN, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, ANAP and National Association of Air Transport Pilots and Employees, NAAPE.