Two air transport unions have agreed to suspend a proposed strike following a successful meeting with the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency on 21 February.
The talks concluded with an agreement that new conditions of service would be implemented from February, with a supplementary payment for the same month being paid in advance of March salaries.
Both sides also agreed to further discussions about how 13 months’ wages arrears would be paid to workers.
The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) and National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) had planned strike action after NAMA failed to implement the recommendations of a joint union/management review of workers’ conditions of service and salary structures, recommendations which had the approval of the government’s National Salaries, Incomes & Wages Commission.
Workers turned out en-masse for a general congress meeting across Nigeria’s airports on 20 February, ready to start their one-day warning strike on 22 February if the NAMA management did not change its position.
Speaking on behalf of both unions, national president of ATSSSAN Benjamin Okewu commented: “We are pleased that finally the management have decided to do what is right. The outcome so far is positive but we have only suspended our strike action while we wait to see concrete changes implemented.”
ITF civil aviation secretary Gabriel Mocho added: “We hope that NAMA fully enters into the spirit of this latest agreement and works with the unions to ensure that new structures and conditions are implemented fairly and swiftly.”
