JUST IN: Labour unions shut down Air Peace operations in Abuja, Lagos

Passengers were left stranded at airports in Lagos and Abuja on Tuesday morning as aviation labour unions commenced picketing of Air Peace over alleged violations of workers’ unionisation rights and failure to remit ticket sales charges to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) began the action in the early hours of Tuesday, with the backing of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

The picketing disrupted Air Peace flight operations, leaving passengers at the affected airports unable to board their scheduled flights.

The unions had issued a notice on August 4, warning that they could commence picketing “at any time without further notice” if the airline failed to address their grievances.

The labour groups said they had exercised considerable restraint and allowed Air Peace several weeks to resolve the issues before resorting to industrial action.

According to the unions, the airline had allegedly continued to prevent some of its employees from freely joining trade unions despite repeated engagements aimed at securing recognition of workers’ right to freedom of association.

They also accused the airline of failing to remit ticket sales charges owed to the NCAA, alleging that the matter had remained unresolved despite previous discussions.

The unions said their decision to picket the airline followed the failure of dialogue and other efforts to resolve the disputes.

They maintained that the action was intended to compel Air Peace to respect workers’ rights, meet its financial obligations to the aviation regulator and address other outstanding issues.

The ongoing picketing is expected to affect flight schedules and operations at the Lagos and Abuja airports as the unions continue their action against the airline.