Aviation workers had a peaceful protest yesterday over a number of issues. The main concern was the concession of the airports starting from Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.
The workers are concerned about their fate when the airports become privatised.
The unions, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), have been against concession. They also had some welfare issues stated on placards during the protest.
In Lagos, the workers were ready as early as 7 a.m and they took their protest to airport road causing traffic. According to some placards, they have been patient enough and job losses loom in the aviation industry. They also request for their pension liability.
Secretary-General of NUATE, Ocheme Aba and Chairman of ATSSSAN, FAAN branch, Ahmed Danjuma addressed them. They accused the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, saying that the project was a one-man project shrouded in secrecy.
Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), condemned the planned concession and warned the Federal Government to stop all planning and contemplation. “We call for social dialogue between government and labour on this.
“Organised labour and the entire Nigerian working class would resist any attempt to unilaterally concession any of our public airports thus undermine the directive principles and fundamental objectives of our national constitution, which is actually the fulcrum upon which our collective identity and aspiration rests,” he said.
Airport workers in Kano and Ibadan also condemned the move by the Federal Government by joining their colleagues in protest.
