Workers in the aviation industry on Wednesday in Abuja, announced the suspension of the strike, which they had planned to commence from midnight on Sunday.
The Aviation Union Grand Alliance, made up of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, last Sunday, served the Federal Government a seven-day notice threatening to ground local and international aviation operations across the country.
But in a statement signed by the representatives of NUATE, NAAPE and ATSSAN, Mr. Imonitie Itua, Mr. Lukman Animashaun and Mr. Frank Aiyede, respectively, the workers said their grouse was the lack of progress on the issue of the payment of terminal benefits of the former workers of the liquidated Nigeria Airways.
According to the unions, they had earlier suspended the strike at the instance of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, who appealed that the issue would be addressed once the Federal Executive Council was constituted.
They regretted that the terminal entitlements of the concerned staff had not been provided for in the proposed appropriation instruments to the National Assembly by the Presidency.
In a communiqu� released at the end of a meeting attended by the Minister of Labour, Dr. Mohammed Lawal, representatives of the Bureau of Public Enterprises and the union members, the workers agreed to suspend the strike in deference to President Umaru Yar� Adua�s approval of payment of the terminal benefits.
The communiqu�, which was signed by the representatives of the three unions as well as the General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. John Odah and the minister, indicated that the union had received information that Yar� Adua had approved the terminal benefits for payments.
According to the communiqu�, �The unions further received assurances that the funds would be disbursed once the processes had been concluded in furtherance of Mr. President�s approval and directive for payment.
�The minister assured the unions that they would be involved and fully briefed about the progress regarding the disbursement process.�
Lawal assured the workers that the Federal Government was aware of the enormity of the problem and was not unmindful of the suffering of the former staff of the defunct national carrier.
He said, �All hands are on deck to ensure that this issue is resolved for good. Other unions should also borrow a leaf from the maturity and understanding of the unions of the aviation sector.�
He added that with the suspension of the planned strike, Yar�Adua would be better disposed to ensure that the problems were attended to so that peace and stability could return to the aviation sector and Nigerian economy.
Speaking earlier on the telephone with our correspondent on Wednesday, Kingibe said a lot of work was being done on the issue and that the workers had no reason to issue the ultimatum.
His Special Assistant on Communications, Mrs. Dupe Ajayi Gbadebo, who spoke on his behalf, explained that the SGF held a meeting with the Presidential Adviser, Captain Shehu Iyal, soon after Kingibe had prevailed on the aviation workers to shelve their strike in June.
Oct182007