The National Union of Air Transport Employes (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) have given a three-day strike notice to domestic airlines in Nigeria, alleging that the operators are preventing workers from joining unions and refusing to pay ticket sales charges owed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The unions said in a statement issued at the weekend that they were escalating the issue following the warning they gave on August 4, when the unions announced a notice of picketing and declared they were prepared to strike “at any time without further notice.”
The unions said they were giving the airlines three more days to address their grievances before industrial action begins, describing the latest move as a gesture of restraint. The unions accused airlines of two major violations in the statement.
They claimed that, despite repeated efforts by the aviation unions to secure that right, airlines have made it impossible for members of staff to join unions freely. Workers are too scared to even show interest in joining a union because they are afraid of discrimination, they said.
The unions also accused the airlines of withholding a 5% charge on ticket sales that is supposed to fund the operations of aviation agencies. The non-remittance of these funds has stalled the implementation of collective bargaining agreements already negotiated on behalf of union members, the statement said.
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In relaxing the notice of picketing dated 4th August 2026 by our unions with a statement that we were ready to strike at anytime without further notice, we hereby magnanimously issued a 3-day Notice of Strike upon the defaulting domestic airlines principally for the following infractions:
Making unionization of staff in their organization impossible after several efforts by the aviation unions. Their workers dare not even say that they want to join unions of their choice.
”Non-remittance of the already collected, but withheld 5% ticket sales charge, which is the operational fund of the aviation agencies, and thereby rendering our members negotiated collective bargaining agreements at the aviation agencies nugatory so far. This still creates disgruntled air transport workers. The implication of which is an accident in the waiting!
“We want clear statements thru circulars and other direct means of communication to their staff that they are free to join unions of their choice without fear of victimization.
“We want the immediate remittance of the seized operational funds of the aviation agencies to enable us to implement the conditions of service of our members in the various aviation agencies.”