Scores of passengers were stranded on Monday, April 17, following a protest by the Aviation workers, who blocked access roads to both the international and domestic wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos State.

The Aviation workers had announced their readiness to commence a two-day warning strike over poor working conditions and entitlements.

The protest by the workers however led to serious gridlock along the Airport Road in the Ikeja area of Lagos, with the entrance of the Terminal Two of the Lagos airport being mostly affected.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had, in a statement issued on Monday, said there would be disruption in flights operations as a result of its planned two days warning strike.

READ ALSO: Aviation unions embark on 2-day warning strike, warn passengers over flights’ disruption

The strike is being led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Nigerian Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), and the Engineers Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employers.

The unions claim that their demands, including the implementation of new minimum wage consequential adjustment with arrears for the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) since 2019 and the release of the reviewed conditions of service for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria and NIMET, have not been met despite issuing an ultimatum to the minister of aviation and the chief executive officers of the agencies.

The unions had earlier in a notice to their members across airports in the country and aviation agencies issued a two-day warning strike to press home their demands for workers entitlements.

Their demands include approval and implementation of the agreement Condition of Service, CoS, as agreed between them and the agencies by the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the Office of the  Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

Others are non-implementation of minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NiMet since 2019 and the planned demolition exercise of all the agency buildings in Lagos by the Minister of Aviation for an airport city project.

The Star