The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) has condemned the picketing of airport terminals by labour unions, describing the action as disruptive and urging the unions to suspend the industrial action and return to dialogue.
In a statement signed on Tuesday by its president, Ademola Onitiju (rtd), ASRTI said the disruption was carried out despite an ongoing intervention by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
The organisation said it recognised the right of labour unions to advocate for the welfare of their members but argued that picketing airport terminals over the non-remittance of Ticket Sales Charges and Cargo Sales Charges to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was inappropriate.
“While we recognise the unions’ right to advocate for the welfare of their membership under universally accepted principles, picketing airport terminals over the non-remittance of Ticket Sales Charges and Cargo Sales Charges to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is completely out of order,” the statement read in part.
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ASRTI argued that the enforcement of statutory penalties and recovery of debts owed to regulatory agencies remained the responsibility of the Federal Government and its authorised institutions, adding that the unions had overstepped their boundaries by disrupting airport operations.
The group also cited provisions of the Civil Aviation Act and the Trade Disputes Act, arguing that aviation services are regarded as essential services and should not be subjected to strikes, picketing, blockades or other forms of disruption.
It further said disputes involving employees and their employers should be addressed through appropriate corporate and legal channels rather than at airports, which it described as “sensitive security zones”.
ASRTI particularly criticised the reported targeting of Air Peace, saying the decision to single out the airline for picketing “shows clear bias from a group that claims to preach fairness”.
The organisation warned that disruptions at airports could have wider implications for the aviation industry, saying they inconvenience passengers and could damage Nigeria’s image among investors and the international community.
Passengers were stranded at airports in Lagos and Abuja on Tuesday after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) disrupted domestic flight operations over disputes concerning workers’ unionisation and the remittance of statutory aviation charges.
Several airlines were affected, with United Nigeria Airlines temporarily suspending operations, while Air Peace reported blocked access to its terminals in Lagos and Abuja.
The affected airlines apologised to passengers and said normal operations would resume once the disruptions were brought under control.
The NCAA had also appealed to the unions to suspend the industrial action and allow dialogue to continue, maintaining that flight safety remained uncompromised.
ASRTI urged all parties to return to the negotiating table and allow the mediation process initiated by the Aviation Minister to run its course.
“Labour unions must immediately halt all blockades and disruptions at airport terminals, ensuring that any grievances regarding internal corporate administration or staff unionisation are pursued strictly through appropriate corporate headquarters or legal channels away from sensitive security zones,” it said.
The organisation also called for regulatory debt recovery to be handled directly between the NCAA and the affected airlines through established legal and administrative procedures.
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