Aviation unions suspend strike

Airports employees under the various aviation unions in the country on Thursday resumed work, saying there would be no further action until President Yar’Adua returns to the country.

The workers, in a one day strike on Wednesday, refused to carry out their duties in protest over the handover of the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL).

“We have resolved to suspend action pending the return of the president from Saudi Arabia,” said Benjamin Okewu, president of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN).

According to Mr. Okewu, the unions, Bi-Courtney and delegations from the presidency at Abuja on Wednesday resolved that the parties involved in the scuffle for the terminal are to put their grievances on hold, as they await the return of the president.

The association’s president said the unions are hopeful that Mr. Yar’Adua will be briefed on the decisions agreed by the parties upon his arrival, stressing that, by Monday, the unions expect to receive an invitation from the president for a final declaration.

“We hope that by Monday when the president arrives and gets to know our resolutions, he will finally handle the situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gideon Ogbuji, general secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), disclosed that the unions will not hesitate to embark on another strike if the government fails to properly resolve the handover.

“If due process is not followed in addressing this situation, then they are asking us to down tools again,” he said. “We are saying that the law must be followed to the letter; GAT is not included in the concession agreement, and that is the true position.”

Bi-trouble

Mr. Ogbuji argued that Bi-Courtney has no right to run the terminal, stressing that members of the unions will not allow it. “Wale Babalakin (Chairman of Bi-Courtney) cannot take over GAT, whether forcefully or not,” he said. “We cannot sit and allow one man take over our national heritage all in the name of concession.”

The NUATE’s general secretary further argued that Bi-Courtney first has to clear its debt with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) before any agreement for the takeover of the terminal can be reached.

“As at July, they (Bi-Courtney) owe FAAN about N300 million,” he said. “Yet they want to take over an airport managed by FAAN.”

The communiqué on the resolutions reached at the meeting, made available to our reporter on Wednesday, has it that “all labour related matters be adequately addressed, including discussions and conclusions on all pensions and gratuity issues before any further concession takes place.” Also included in the communiqué is the empowerment of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to manage airports in line with the contemporary trend of the industry’s world best practices.

The resolutions were signed by Shehu Iyal, head of the president’s delegation; Idris Kuta, permanent secretary for aviation; Abubakar Yelwa, representative of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the presidents of the various unions.