A new law in Nigeria has created a chaotic environment in multiple airports of the country , as Aviation workers are unhappy about it and forcing the airports paralysed , which inturn is making the travellers unhappy aswell.
Monday saw the Aviation unions paralysing the activities at the nation’s airports due to a newly passed Civil Aviation Act and thousands of passengers were stranded in airports across the country as many of them said they missed important appointments.
Five major aviation unions had last Thursday demanded the roll back of the "nonfriendly clauses” in the new Act introduced by the government , saying .
Protest currently going on at NNAMDI AZIKIWE INTL AIRPORT ABUJA by the union of Nigerian air #abuja #protest #nigeria pic.twitter.com/ol2k6gZGBV
— NINIMI (@niifeemi18) September 12, 2022
Workers are taking it head-on and vowed to protest at all airports nationwide and picket the aviation agencies in Abuja and Lagos to demand for the removal of the clauses.
The unions have asked the federal government and the National Assembly to repeal the clauses within 14 days or face a complete shutdown of the Aviation industry.
The different protesting unions are the "Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN)", "National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE)", "National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE)", " Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP)", and the "Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE)".
The clauses , for which this situation has come up, are in the provisions of Section 67, subsections 1, 2 and 3 in the new Act , that has classifed the aviation workers as engaged in the essential services.
Section 67 read ,
“All services, which facilitate and maintain the smooth, orderly and safe take-off, flight and handling of aircraft and the disembarkation and evacuation of passengers and cargo respectively in all aerodromes in Nigeria are hereby designated as essential services pursuant to the provisions of section 11 (I) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
Subsection 2 has further added ,
“The minister may by regulations prohibit all or such class or classes of workers, officers and other employees of persons, whether corporate or natural, engaged in the provision of the services specified in subsection (1) of this section from taking part in a strike or other industrial action.”
The above mentioned unions however did not accept the ammended provisions and said the implementation of the new CAA can not be materialized.
