The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has ordered the arrest and prosecution of an Air Peace driver accused of driving a bus onto the airside of the Lagos airport and leaving it there during Tuesday’s labour picketing of the airline.
The incident occurred as aviation unions commenced industrial action against Air Peace and other airlines over unresolved issues involving workers’ union rights and the payment of statutory charges to aviation authorities.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, with the backing of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, began the picketing in the early hours of Tuesday.
The unions had previously issued warnings to airlines they accused of failing to remit the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge payable to the NCAA.
They also raised concerns over alleged restrictions on workers’ freedom to join trade unions.
The unions said employees in some airlines were reluctant to indicate interest in union membership because of fears of discrimination or victimisation.
During the protest at the Lagos airport, an Air Peace bus was reportedly driven into the airside and abandoned there.
An airport source said the action was linked to the picketing and that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria later moved the vehicle to clear the area.
Confirming the development, NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, said the authority had directed that the driver be identified and arrested for prosecution.
He said the authority would investigate the incident and apply the relevant provisions of the law if the allegations were established.
According to him, leaving a large vehicle on the runway area posed a serious aviation safety concern and could not be allowed.
However, Air Peace rejected the allegation that its vehicle blocked the runway.
The airline’s spokesperson, Efe Whiskey-Osifo, challenged the claim and maintained that the bus did not obstruct the runway.
The disagreement came as the unions’ picketing disrupted operations at some airports, with affected airlines taking steps to resume flights following the industrial action.
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!