Again, unions to shut down aviation over 50% agencies’ deduction

Again, the various unions in the aviation industry have threatened to down tools and paralyse activities over what they termed the near insolvency of the agencies over the 50 per cent deduction at the source of their revenue.

The unions comprising the National Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Association of Nigeria Aviation Practitioners ( ANAP), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees and the Air Transports Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSSAN) have concluded plans to embark on a nationwide protest on September 18^th  to demand the discontinuation of 50 per cent from the internally generated revenue of the agencies through an exemption.

In a “Save Aviation from Collapse” notice of nationwide protest letter, the unions led by their leaders, Ocheme Aba, Abdul Rasaq Saidu, Francis Akinjole, Olayinka Abioye and Sikiru Waheed threatened that all workers of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), NAMA, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB)joined by the solidarity of workers have been directed to embark on peaceful at all airports nationwide from September 18, 2024.

They lamented that information available indicates that some important safety critical activities of agencies like FAAN, NCAA, NAMA, and NiMet are grinding to a halt.

They said, “It has therefore become incumbent on us as trade unions and workers in aviation to let the public and the government be aware that we shall bear no responsibility in the certain event that the industry becomes dysfunctional as a result of financial incapacity due to the deductions at source.”

They further stated that all efforts on their part have failed to impress upon the Federal Government that all the agencies are cost recovery and not profit-making organizations, stressing that as such they cannot survive on half of their incomes under the model of administration or any other guise whatsoever.

They hinted that the ultimatum given to the Minister of Aviation on the same has expired since the end of August 2024.

The aviation agencies are reeling under immense financial difficulty owing to the deduction from the source of 50% of their revenue which has made them prostrate and unable to meet their statutory functions.

Wole Shadare