Sunday, 1 March 2015

Air traffic controllers may begin strike today

Air traffic controllers (ATCs) under the aegis of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), have threatened to embark on industrial action against the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for reneging on the agreement to resolve all labour disputes between it and the airspace agency.

With the strike in force, the ATCs would shut the Nigerian airspace to aircraft, with no plane allowed to land or take off, effectively disrupting all flight operations in the country’s airports.
The strike threat is coming barely 40 days after the first strike that was to commence on January 19, 2015 was shelved after the management of NAMA agreed to look into the issues raised by NATCA. The ATCs condemned the management of NAMA for reneging on the agreement to resolve all labour disputes between the agency and controllers.
In a statement signed by NATCA president, Victor Eyaru, and general-secretary, Banji Olawode, the association said, “We have been finally pushed to the wall and our members should not be blamed for whatever form of protest embarked upon to get the signed agreements actualized.”
Meanwhile, NAMA has agreed to meet the demands of ATC. At the end of a meeting between the supervising minister of Labour and productivity, Kabiru Tanimu, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Mohammed Abass, it was resolved that the issues raised were right.

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