NCAA To Sanction Airlines Blocking Workers’ Unionisation

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is set to sanction any airline that prevents its employees from directly engaging with aviation sector unions over unionisation.

The directive followed an emergency meeting convened on Thursday by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to promote cooperation and resolve outstanding issues between aviation sector unions and airline operators.

The meeting came after the unions temporarily suspended their planned industrial action on Tuesday following engagements with the Federal Government and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).

According to a statement by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mahmud Adam Kambari, the minister reaffirmed the right of aviation workers to independently decide whether to join a union without interference from their employers.

Kambari said the NCAA had consequently been directed to ensure that aviation unions have direct access to workers of all airlines for the sole purpose of distributing unionisation forms to employees willing to indicate their interest in joining a union.

He warned that any airline that obstructs such access would face sanctions from the NCAA.

The meeting also resolved that the NCAA and other aviation agencies should obtain payment schedules from airlines over their outstanding obligations and develop repayment plans that take into account the operators’ cost of operations and prevailing economic conditions.

Similarly, Directors of Finance and Accounts across the aviation agencies are expected to meet with individual airlines within one week to agree on realistic repayment arrangements.

The ministry said the parties agreed to reconvene after one month to review progress and assess the state of the issues under discussion.

Kambari emphasised that the resolutions reached at the meeting represented the collective decisions of all parties involved.