The most formidable voice in aviation industry in Nigeria Aviation Round Table (ART) has condemned in strong terms the persistent disruptions of commercial flights in Lagos and Abuja Airports at slightest provocation.
In a statement issued by its Assistant Secretary General, Olu Ohunayo, the group of aviation professionals insisted while it recognises that Labour unions could legitimately employ picketing to drive their demands, they are however a limit to their actions.
“The ART hereby condemn the unwholesome and persistent disruption of flights in Lagos and Abuja respectively by members of the aviation workers unions. While recognizing picketing as a mode of protest during industrial action permissible by the law, ART opines that a supposedly peaceful agitation by unions should not cross the boundary of tolerability as stated in Section 43 of the Trade Unions Act. Cap.T14, LFN,2004,” ART insisted.
The group of aviators which lamented the barricading of roads, forcing of unwilling members to join in their disruptive acts is a threat to safety, security and corporate existence of organization in the aviation environment.
“What we have witnessed in the recent past is the disruptive picketing which barricades entrances to airport terminals, premises, wilful attack on airline counters and prevention of non participating workers who wish to continue working. The ART considers these as threat to safety, security and corporate existence of organisations within the aviation environment,” ART added.
Realising that an end should be put to such disruptive tendencies among aviation unions in the country, ART therefore called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to address the development decisively even as it urged organisations in the industry to activate protective Crisis Management mechanism to mitigate the consequences of these disruptive strike actions.
“ART condemns unequivocally, the disruptive activities in Abuja and Lagos based on alleged labour dispute with the Imo State government. ART considers as reckless these unwarranted actions which adversely affected an ailing industry struggling to recover from Covid- 19 pandemic disruptions and the persistently high operational cost.
“The ART calls on the Federal Government through the ministries of Labour and Aviation to address these disruptive activities of the labour unions decisively.
“We also encourage organisations in the industry to activate protective Crisis Management mechanism to mitigate the consequences of these disruptive strike actions and seek appropriate legal remedies to redeem losses caused by them.c
