Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has directed its Lagos State Chapter to mobilize all its affiliated unions in the aviation industry to picket Turkish Airlines begining rom Tuesday May 20, 2024.
This was contained in a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary Comrade Chris Uyot and made available to African Business Travel News ABTNEWS on Monday.
The union stated that it is mobilising its members to picketing the Turkish Airlines because of its anti -Labour practices.
NLC alleged that the management of Turkish Airlines has engaged activities aimed at exterminating National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) from aviation industry by terminating the appointments of seven 7 of its members without benefits for engaging in union activities
“Turkish Airlines’ Management in Lagos has continued its determined bid to exterminate the Union, NUATE from the Airline. In its latest onslaught, the Management has dismissed seven (7) out of eleven members of Union without benefits under trumped up charges and using a disciplinary committee constituted outside the dictate of the prevailing Conditions of Service as negotiated with NUATE,” NLC stated.
NLC added that it is aware of a secret plan by the airline to sack the remaining four union members in its employment to pave way for engagement of new staff who would be compelled not to engage in unionism or in alternative to procure a General Sales Agency (GSA)
“More provoking, Congress has been aware of the plans to get rid of the remaining four members to pave way for the engagement of new staff who would be compelled not to join the Union, or in the alternative to procure a GSA,” the union alleged.
For the these, NLC which therefore argued that management of Turkish Airlines has put to waste ten – fourteen years of the labour of unjustifiably sacked workers, said it would not accept the termination of their employment.
“By the above action of unjustifiable dismissal of their workers, the management of Turkish Airlines has put to waste ten-fourteen years of service. And this fate has befallen these hapless workers purely on account of exercising their constitutional right to belong to a trade union. Comgress will not tolerate this situation.
“Therefore, the Lagos State Council of NLC is hereby directed to commence picketing of Turkish Airlines in Lagos with effect from Tuesday 21st May, 2024 until all staff of Turkish Airlines who have been sacked, dismissed, forced to abandon duty, or forced to resign under duress, including those victimized for their union membership in 2020, have been fully restored to their jobs without any losses of any kind.” NLC directed its members.
It has also place the Federal Capital Teritorry FCT Council on red a
Meanwhile, the FCT Council is to stand by in case there becomes a need to escalate the matter to Abuja airport.
Injury to one is injury to all! Solidarity forever!!!
