By Milcah Tanimu

Security and operations at Nigerian airports are set to be disrupted as aviation and logistics workers have initiated a sudden strike starting from August 16th, 2023. The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) issued a circular notifying aviation and logistics employers about the decision to withdraw services due to prolonged issues of employee underpayment within the sector.

The circular, bearing the signature of NUATE’s General Secretary, Comrade Ocheme Aba, outlined the rationale behind the strike, citing the ongoing challenges with inadequate compensation for workers in aviation security and logistics roles. The document emphasized that despite efforts to resolve the matter, companies in the sector have failed to secure favorable contracts that offer equitable pay for their workforce.

The circular underscored that some graduates holding these positions are receiving meager monthly salaries as low as N30,000, likening the employment conditions to those of a “slave labor camp.” The union expressed strong dissatisfaction with this state of affairs and emphasized the urgent need for fair remuneration for aviation and logistics employees.

Consequently, the circular instructed all workers in Nigerian aviation logistics companies to halt their services effective August 16th, 2023, and indefinitely, until their demand for improved pay is met. The NUATE’s National Secretariat is the sole authorized entity to issue any further instructions on the matter, and the union’s state councils and branches in key cities were directed to ensure complete compliance with the strike notice.

This strike action has the potential to leave critical positions that were previously manned by security officials at airports unattended, raising concerns about the security and operational integrity of aviation and logistics activities within the country.