The National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, together with the Aviation Security, AVSEC and logistics sub-sector have begun an immediate strike today, August 16th, 2023 over their monthly pay of 30,000 Naira.
The union had made the announcement via a circular addressed to the Director-General of Civil Aviation, DGCA; the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN; the Commissioner of Police; Airports Command; the Airport Commandant; the Director, Department of State Security, DSS; and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos State.
It noticed had announced that the withdrawal of services of the highlighted employees was unavoidable.
The General Secretary for NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba, had signed the circular, amidst lamentations that AVSEC group, who were mostly university graduates were being paid a paltry sum of N30,000 monthly.
Comr. Aba had further bemoaned that all efforts to negotiate ameliorate the wages for their members in the past had been unsuccessful and he had been left to wonder how 30,000 would be sufficient for any person in today’s Nigerian economy.
The circular read partly:
“This current situation can no longer be tolerated. To this regard, and in furtherance of our letter of ultimatum dated 26th June, 2023, all employees in all Aviation Logistics companies in Nigeria are immediately directed to completely stop all services as from August 16, 2023 indefinitely, until our demand for fair remuneration is met.
It is noteworthy to mention that only the National Secretariat of NUATE is authorized to issue any further orders on this matter. The state Councils and Branches of NUATE in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu are therefore ordered to fully comply with this notice.”