Passengers were left stranded on Tuesday morning as aviation labour unions grounded Air Peace operations in Lagos and Abuja over allegations that the airline had prevented its workers from unionising and failed to remit ticket sales charges due to the .Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) commenced the picketing in the early hours of Tuesday, with the backing of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

The action disrupted flight operations and left passengers at the affected airports unable to board their scheduled flights.

The unions had on August 4 issued a notice of picketing, warning that they were prepared to commence industrial action “at any time without further notice” if their grievances were not addressed.

Explaining Tuesday’s action, the unions said they had exercised considerable restraint and given the airline several weeks to resolve the issues in dispute.

They alleged that Air Peace had continued to prevent some of its workers from freely joining trade unions, despite repeated efforts by the aviation unions to secure recognition of workers’ rights to freedom of association.

The unions also accused the airline of failing to remit ticket sales charges owed to the NCAA, adding that the grievances had persisted despite previous engagements.

The labour groups said the picketing became necessary after their efforts to resolve the issues through dialogue failed to produce a satisfactory outcome.

They maintained that the action was aimed at compelling the airline to respect workers’ rights, comply with its financial obligations to the aviation regulator and address the outstanding grievances.

The development is expected to affect flight schedules and operations at the Lagos and Abuja airports as the unions continue their picketing of the airline. (The Guardian)

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