The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday disrupted flight operations in Lagos, leaving passengers stranded. Among the affected were passengers scheduled to travel on an Air Peace flight. Due to the protest, Air Peace flight, scheduled to depart Lagos at 6:30am, could not take off as passengers waited amid the disruption.
By Emma Ogbuehi
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday disrupted flight operations in Lagos, leaving passengers stranded. Among the affected were passengers scheduled to travel on an Air Peace flight. Due to the protest, Air Peace flight, scheduled to depart Lagos at 6:30am, could not take off as passengers waited amid the disruption. The development sparked frustration among passengers, some of whom lamented the uncertainty surrounding their travel plans.
In a release, Air Peace management, apologised to all affected and stranded passengers for the disruption and inconvenience, stressing that the development was caused by circumstances beyond the airline’s control.
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The statement reads:
“We wish to inform our esteemed passengers and the general flying public of temporary disruptions to our flight operations arising from the picketing of our airline and the ongoing industrial action by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
“The ongoing industrial action has resulted in the barricading of the entrances to our departure terminals at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (Alpha and Zulu Terminals) and Terminal 2 in Lagos, as well as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Terminal in Abuja.
“The blockade has restricted access to these terminals, preventing the departure of scheduled flights from Lagos and Abuja. Consequently, passengers scheduled to travel across our network have been significantly affected by the disruption to flight operations.
“Air Peace sincerely apologises to all affected and stranded passengers for the disruption and inconvenience caused by circumstances beyond the airline’s control. Passengers scheduled to travel later today are being contacted and provided with relevant updates as the situation evolves.
“Air Peace continues to closely monitor developments and will provide further updates as necessary. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our passengers as we navigate this situation”.
Further release from Air Peace indicated that workers in the airline have dissociated themselves from the ongoing picketing of airlines by aviation industry unions, saying they are not involved in the industrial action.
The workers said the picketing exercise, which has disrupted flight operations in and out of the nation’s capital, Abuja and Lagos does not represent their position or interest.
A spokesman for the workers, Comrade Aminu Suleiman, reportedly said that in the 12 years since the inception of Air Peace, employees of the airline had always had a voice in the running of the company and had no need to join the industrial union.
According to him, workers are constitutionally free to decide whether or not to belong to a trade union. “We can choose to join or not. It’s not by force. Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, guarantees the freedom of association,” he said.
He added that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) constitution also recognises the voluntary nature of union membership.
“Section 12 of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) constitution also specifically states that membership of the union is voluntary,” he added.
The Air Peace workers said they had no need for unionism because they enjoy the benefits that unions claim to be fighting for from the airline’s management.
“What do we need unionism for? For 12 years, we have been getting our salaries regularly. We have HMO. The airlines that were unionised, where are they today? They had no HMO, and the unions could not secure severance benefits for them,” Suleiman said, to a rousing applause from the workers.
The Air Peace workers also accused unions of creating a rift between employers and employees for their own benefit. They maintained that their decision not to participate in the ongoing picketing was deliberate and urged the public not to associate them with the industrial action.
The release further quoted the workers as stressing that they were satisfied with the existing channels through which they engage with the airline’s management and believed that their interests were being adequately protected.
