*As NAHCO, unions reach truce
By Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo
Stakeholders and Union leaders in the country’s aviation sector said only the minister of labour or trade unions have power to stop workers from embarking on strike.
Those who spoke with our correspondent said workers do not go on strike without reasons saying that government was part of the reasons why workers embark on strike.
They noted that labour always fulfil their own obligations but government officials have continued to renege when it was time to meet workers demands, adding that no worker was happy going on strike.
The secretary, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) branch, Emeka Njoku said, aviation minister has no power to proscribe any Union in the aviation but only the minister of labour or trade unions.
“The labour law is there, the minister has no right to proscribe any Union or give directive on strike”.
Njoku said the section the minister was quoting to use against the workers to stop strike,was not in the Act and that labour unions were not aware of it.
According to Njoku, the national assembly committees on aviation have written denouncing the section in the Act that they were unaware of it at the public hearing held in Abuja.
Njoku revealed that the unions were putting heads together to critically examine the section in the Act.
Also speaking, the general secretary of Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu said Nigeria remained a member of International Labour Organization with it’s internationally accepted best practices in terms of labour and trade unions which Nigeria will not be exempted.
Saidu remarked that the minister might have been misadvised by many advisers in the ministry and have confused him on certain issues
He said it was the fundamental human rights of the working class internationally adding that aviation in the country was not different from that outside the country.
Saidu noted that strike was synonymous with foreign countries where the system was even working but regretted the threat by the aviation minister to stop strike.
The ANAP scribe revealed that the national assembly has written that they were not aware of the section in the Act and how it was smuggled in to president Buhari to sign.
Saidu revealed that the unions will react appropriately in due time adding that the unions have been monitoring all that have been happening in the sector
He said both the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress were aware of the aviation sector predicament.
But for Mr Olumide Ohunayo an aviation CV consultant, it was impossible for any one to stop strike but can only stop them from barricading the roads
He noted that in the Case of NAHCO, there was no barricading of road but the workers down tools.
Olumide remarked that the minister’s pronouncement will not work but to improve on the industrial relationship with the workers.
He opted for sanctions for those who do not keep to the rules adding that there should be enforcement and consequences.
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Meanwhile, the management of the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company NAHCO and the unions have struck a deal.
The duo reach an agreement over the weekend at a meeting set up to resolve their differences which led to their strike last week
The National Union of Air Transport Employees and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association members went on strike following poor salary structure introduced by nacho.
The meeting affected upwards review of salaries on percentages with grade range of M4-M1, A2 -M5 and D4-B1, senior manager, assistant manager and assistant supervisor for between 12.5 percent and 31 per cent.
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