Workers in the country’s aviation sector have resolved to embark on a nationwide industrial action beginning from midnight October 21.
This is to press home demands for the payment of terminal entitlements of the former staff of the liquidated Nigeria Airways.
The air workers said the strike would be targeted at grounding aviation operations, both local and international, all over the country.
In a statement issued by the unions under the umbrella of Aviation Union Grand Alliance, the aggrieved workers said they have resolved to resume the suspended strike.
The alliance is made up of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUA-TE), Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).
In the notice of strike, jointly signed by Comrade Imonitie Itua of NUATE, Engr. Lukman Animashaun of NAAPE and Comrade Gideon C. Ogbuji of ATSSAN, the workers said they were forced to resume the strike following the failure of the Federal Government to live up to its words on the settlement of benefits of disengaged staff of defunct national carrier.
“Having met and considered the lack of progress on the issue of the payment of terminal entitlements of staff of the liquidated Nigeria Airways, we have resolved to issue to the Federal Government the resumption of the suspended strike,” they said.
The unions said they had earlier suspended the strike at the instance of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kin-gibe, who promised that the issue would be addressed once the Federal Executive Council was constituted.
“However, up till now, the terminal entitlements of staff of the liquidated Nigeria Airways have not been paid,” the said.
“We have had consultation with the national leadership of the NLC and TUC to which they are affiliated. Further, we have consulted our members all over the country and have resolved to direct all aviation workers to proceed on strike with effect from midnight Sunday 21st of October 2007. The strike will be targeted at grounding aviation operations all over the country,” they said.
The workers said they were at pain resorting to strike but that it has become an inevitable show solidarity “with our brothers and sisters in the former Nigeria Airways, who are dying daily from penury”.
Since the liquidation of the Airways, the government has not enunciated any plans to pay the benefits.
“We hope that the Federal Government will take advantage of the period of notice to enunciate concrete plans for the payment,” they said.
Oct152007