Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called on aviation unions to suspend their current industrial action and embrace dialog, adding that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, is working to resolve the issues.
The NCAA said it was aware of the action by the unions and its impact on passengers and other stakeholders in a statement on Tuesday by its Director General Capt. Chris Najomo.
Earlier reports had it that the crux of the dispute which led to the industrial action was the failure by some airlines to remit the 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC).
Airlines are mandated by law to collect the statutory levy on each passenger ticket and remit it to the NCAA, which then shares the revenue among regulatory and safety agencies including NCAA, NAMA and NiMet. ebeb
Union leaders under the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employes (NUATE) say several indigenous carriers have amassed billions of naira in unremitted TSC deductions which they say has robbed aviation agencies of operational liquidity.
The unions issued a final seven-day ultimatum on July 28, after a 14-day notice period expired, warning of ground disruptions and service stoppages if the debts were not cleared.
This newspaper also reported that NUATE and ATSSSAN grounded the operations of Air Peace in Abuja and Lagos in the early hours of Tuesday over allegations of preventing workers from unionizing and non-remittance of ticket sales charges owed to the NCAA.
The unions, led by the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), said they were forced to picket the airline after a warning issued on August 4, when the unions announced a notice of picketing and said they were ready to strike “at any time without further notice.”
NCAA, in its statement, said the matter would have been discussed at a meeting convened by the Aviation minister last week but the meeting could not hold as the airline operators did not turn up for the meeting.
The NCAA urged the unions “to put their swords away and exercise restraint until the return” of the minister, who they said has been actively working to resolve the issues.
The NCAA told travelers flight safety has not been compromised and the authority still carries out its statutory safety oversight responsibilities.
We urge all sides to engage in dialog and cooperation. “We are confident the issue will be resolved shortly and that normal flight operations will resume as soon as practicable,” the statement continues.
The NCAA also expressed regret over the inconvenience to passengers and thanked them for their patience and understanding.
Meanwhile, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had kicked against any disruption of service, noting that airlines have no direct transactional relationship with the unions on TSC and that the action is based on misinformation.
AON added that soaring aviation fuel costs and various levies have put local carriers under severe financial pressure.