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| Stranded Arik passengers blocking boarding gate at Abuja Airport ... January 30, 2015.. . Photo Credit: Courtesy @WahidSaka |
Aviation unions on Tuesday shut down the operations of Arik Air, leaving hundreds of the airline’s passengers stranded across the country.
The strike was embarked upon by the National Union of Air Transport
Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association
of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and
Engineers (NAAPE).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the unions embarked on
the joint strike following the airline’s failure to pay seven months’
salary arrears and other alleged anti-labour practices.
The unions said the industrial action would continue indefinitely until their demands are met by the management of Arik Air.
They shut down Arik Air’s flight operations at both the local and
international wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and also
barricaded the airline’s corporate headquarters within the airport
premises.
As early as 6:00 a.m, the aggrieved workers stormed the airport
chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with various
inscriptions, denouncing the actions of Arik Air’s management.
Addressing the protesters, Olayinka Abioye, General Secretary,
NUATE, said the unions decided to ground Arik Air for safety reasons.
Mr. Abioye said: “Arik Air has refused to pay workers’ salaries for
seven months and we know that a disgruntled worker is an accident
waiting to happen.
“The airline has been defaulting in taxes and other statutory deductions from workers remunerations.
“The management has refused to allow total unionisation of its
employees, in compliance with extant labour laws and with respect to the
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He also demanded for the immediate reinstatement of five of the
airline’s employees who were sacked for their involvement in unionism.
Mr. Abioye further alleged that Arik Air was owing about N13 billion
and N6 billion to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and
the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), respectively.
According to him, the airline was also indebted to its aviation fuel
suppliers and ground handlers and should therefore be declared insolvent
by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Also speaking, Frances Akinjole, General Secretary, ATSSSAN, said the
unions were prepared to embark on the strike for as long as possible.
“Things cannot be business as usual for Arik. A pilot who is
disgruntled can crash an aircraft deliberately. An engineer who is being
owed salaries can sabotage the aircraft.
“So we need to ground Arik Air until the management shows that they are responsible,” Mr. Akinjole added.
NAN reports that some of Arik Air’s passengers at the General
Aviation Terminal resorted to changing their travel plans as there was
no staff to attend to them at the airline’s counter.
One of the passengers, Tomisin Olukare, told NAN that she bought a
one-way ticket from Lagos to Abuja at N42, 000 three days ago.
“I came this morning and there is nobody to attend to me and my
flight is supposed to leave by 10:00 a.m., so I am really confused,” she
said.
Another passenger, Chika Emmanuel, said an agent assisted her in
buying an Air Peace ticket for Abuja immediately she sensed that there
was going to be a disruption on Arik Air operations.
Emmanuel said she would be demanding for a refund of her ticket from Arik Air when she returns from her trip.
When contacted, the Corporate Communications Manager of Arik Air, Ola
Adebanji, said the airline would soon issue a statement explaining
their position on the situation.
NAN
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