Joint Aviation Unions have threatened to embarked on peaceful demonstration over the obnoxious clauses infused in the Aviation Acts 2022 presented to the President Muhammadu Buhari to assent into law.
The unions are: National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
This was made known in a joint media briefing by the NUATE Secretary General, Mr Ocheme Aba, ATSSSAN Deputy General Secretary, Frances Akinjole; ANAP Secretary General, Mr AbfulRasaq Saidu and AUPCTRE General Secretary, Mr Sikiru Waheed.
The Civil Aviation Act, 2022, which was assented on Aug. 29 by the president, was to repeal the Civil Aviation Act, No. 6, 2006.
The legislation establishes rules of operation and divisions of responsibility within the Nigerian civil aviation system in order to promote aviation safety and security.
In addition, it seeks to ensure that Nigeria’s obligations under international aviation agreements are implemented, and consolidate the laws relating to the regulation of civil aviation in Nigeria.
Aba, speaking on behalf of other unions, said the clauses maliciously added by the powers in the industry not only to prohibit trade union activities in the aviation industry in the country but totally obliterate aviation unions.
NUATE scribe alleged that unknown persons in the aviation sector allegedly added the regressive clauses to the Bills the National Assembly transmitted to the president for assent.
He said: The clauses added includes, “1(1) All services which facilitate and maintain the smooth, orderly and safe take off, flight and landing of aircraft, embarkation and disembarkation and evacuation of passengers and cargo respectively.
“This is in all aerodromes in the country are hereby designated as essential services pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered).
“(2) The Minister may by regulations prohibit all or such class or classes of workers, officers and other employees or persons whether corporate or natural, engaged in the provision of services specified in subsection (1) of this section from taking part in a strike or other industrial action.
” 2(1) The provisions of the Trade Disputes (essential Services) Act, Cap. T9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 shall apply to service in the Agency facilities managed by the Agency and in the implementation of this Bill.
“(2) There shall be no strikes, lock-outs, pickets, blockades, service disruptions, etc of any kind within all facilities managed by the Agency and where any labour dispute arises, such dispute shall be resolved by the Agency.”
Aba described what was happening as the aviation ministry trying to interlope on the responsibilities of the Ministry of Labour describing that the step was self serving and intended to cause issues.
He said the Bill had granted powers to the Aviation minister to regulate trade unions in contradiction to the Trade Unions Act, 2004 which grants the Labour minister sole regulatory powers over trade union issues in Nigeria.
Aba said it was absolutely clear that the contentious clauses smuggled into the aviation agencies’ Bills had no moral, nor legal, basis for being there.
He said the leadership of the Senate and House Committees on Aviation had denied knowledge of the obnoxious clauses in the bills.
According to him, it has become absolutely necessary to identify how these clauses found their ways into the Bills transmitted to the President.
Aba said the National Assembly had no choice than to recall the Bills and expunge the clauses in contention.
He said they had also directed all their states organs to carry out peaceful public demonstrations at all airports nationwide on Monday.
Aba said should the situation remain not ameliorated beyond 14 days after the demonstrations, then their unions shall embark on total industrial action to press home our demands.
