National Union of Aviation Transport Employees has shifted its decision on the ultimatum issued to the Federal Government by two weeks, The PUNCH reports.
The union said it made this decision to give room for intervention by the Ministry of Aviation and Ministry of Labour and Employment.
According to the union, this was the decision reached during its scheduled meeting in Lagos.
The union had September 13, 2022, issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government stating that the anti-labour clauses in the new aviation bills currently awaiting the assent of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) should be removed.
The controversial clauses are that: “All services which facilitate and maintain the smooth, orderly and safe take-off, flight and landing of aircraft, embarkation and disembarkation and evacuation of passengers and cargo respectively in all aerodromes in Nigeria are hereby designated as essential services pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered).
“The minister may, by regulations, prohibit all or such class or classes of workers, officers and other employees or persons, whether corporate or natural, engaged in the provision of services specified in subsection (1) of this section from taking part in a strike or other industrial action.
“The provisions of the Trade Disputes (Essential Services) Act, Cap. T9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 shall apply to service in the agency, facilities managed by the agency and in the implementation of this bill. There shall be no strikes, lock-outs, pickets, blockades, service disruptions, etc. of any kind within all facilities managed by the agency and where any labour dispute arises, such dispute shall be resolved by the agency.”
The NUATE had at the expiration of its ultimatum on September 26, shifted its decision.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Secretary-General of NUATE, Ocheme Aba, said “Our decision today is to give an extension of the ultimatum by 14 days because the National Assembly reached out to the Nigerian Labour Congress that something is being done about it and the ministry of aviation also reached out to us that they are doing something about it, so we decided to give a 14-day extension.”
