A Nigerian aviation union, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has directed its members in the country to withdraw their services to Turkish Airways.
The directive has denied many of the airline’s passengers earlier booked for a flight out of Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos today from been checked-in .
According to NUATE, the industrial action was taken following its directives to its members to deny Turkish airlines services over its failure to reverse the sack of executives of the union in its service.
Many of the passengers were seen with their luggage at the entrance of the terminal as there were no signs that the airline would be allowed to operate.
In a notice to aviation workers signed by NUATE General Secretary, Ocheme Aba, dated October 27, 2020, NUATE said it was constrained to commence industrial action against the airline with effect from October 29, 2020 indefinitely and throughout Nigeria.
The NUATE scribe was disturbed by the action taken by the airline despite clear injunction from the Ministries of Labour and Aviation to that effect.
Aba noted that, “Accordingly, all aviation workers, including ground handling, aviation security and logistic personnel are hereby directed to withdraw all services from the airline until all sacked exco members are reinstated unconditionally, and without loss or pay or service”.
It would be recalled that trade union umbrella organisation Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had in August given an ultimatum to Turkish Airlines and two other aviation companies to reinstate all workers it had fired or face a shut-down.
Executives from the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) working for Turkish Airlines were fired, along with a total of 169 pilots from Air Peace and Bristow Helicopters.
President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, said the companies had two weeks to reinstate all workers, or the NLC “will not hesitate to mobilise the weight of the entire Nigerian workforce.”
Wabba said the NUATE executives were fired for fighting for the rights of Nigerian workers, and that the sacking was aimed at “frustrating unionization” and “to enslave Nigerians.”
