Early morning flights were suspended while passengers were
left stranded as aviation workers shut down the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos
Terminal Two (MMA2), on Tuesday.
The aviation workers, under the aegis of air transport
services senior staff association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), are protesting the sack
of some of their members by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL).
On Monday, ATSSSAN had issued a seven-day ultimatum to BASL
— the operator of MMA2 — to reverse the sacking of over 30 workers or face
picketing.
The association also threatened a showdown and demanded
payment of its members, their terminal entitlements and reversal of the leave
of absence given to them, adding that failure to do so will resort in it using
“any known means to fight for members’ rights.”
The union described the sack of its members as witch-hunting
and willful intimidation.
It alleged that rather than implementing the conditions of
service as agreed with them in 2021, the BASL management had resorted to
sacking of its members, including the union’s executives.
Confirming the development, Ben Nnabue,
president of the national union of air transport employees (NUATE), said BASL
did not follow due process in laying off the air transport workers.
“All I can say for now is that we have processes as a union
on how workers are being laid off. So, you cannot wake up one morning on your
own accord without consulting us and sack 35 of our workers,” he said, in a
phone conversation.
Meanwhile, when contacted, the Federal Airport Authority of
Nigeria (FAAN) did not respond to requests for more details.
Aviation authorities are also yet to release an official
statement on the matter.
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