Passengers were stranded on Tuesday morning after aviation labour unions halted Air Peace operations in Lagos and Abuja over allegations that the airline had prevented some of its workers from joining trade unions and failed to remit ticket sales charges owed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) began picketing the airline in the early hours of Tuesday, with support from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The industrial action disrupted flight operations, leaving passengers at the affected airports unable to board their scheduled flights.
The unions had issued a notice of picketing on August 4, warning that they could commence industrial action “at any time without further notice” if their grievances were not resolved.
Explaining the decision to ground operations, the unions said they had shown considerable restraint and allowed the airline several weeks to address the issues in dispute.
They alleged that Air Peace had continued to restrict some employees from freely joining trade unions, despite repeated attempts by the aviation labour groups to secure recognition of workers’ right to freedom of association.
The unions also accused the airline of failing to remit ticket sales charges payable to the NCAA, saying the matter had remained unresolved despite previous engagements.
According to the labour groups, the picketing became necessary after attempts to settle the disputes through dialogue failed to yield a satisfactory resolution.
The unions said their action was intended to compel Air Peace to respect workers’ rights, fulfil its financial obligations to the aviation regulator and resolve the outstanding issues.
The ongoing picketing is expected to disrupt flight schedules and operations at the Lagos and Abuja airports as the aviation unions continue their action against the airline.