Employees of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) on Monday downed tools thereby paralysing flight operations at the international wing of the Murtala Muhamed Airport, Lagos.
NAHCO handles check-in, boarding and ramp services for several international airlines including Air France/KLM, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Turkish Air.
It also does ground handling services for many domestic carriers, including Air Peace which has the largest fleet and flies to many destinations.
Many travellers who arrived at the airport early were could not board without their luggage.
Newsgazette gathered that Qatar Airways’ aircraft which landed at the airport early in the morning with passengers had to return to Doha due to the absence of ramp services.
Similarly, Air Peace, Dana and others had to delay and reschedule their flights due to the strike.
It was learnt that the strike was informed by the refusal by the NAHCO management to review staff salaries as contained in a notice signed by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN).
“As all ultimatum issued by our unions have gone unheeded and the management continues to play on our intelligence through rescheduling of purposeless meetings, we have come to the conclusion that the management is clearly decided against harkening to our cries of fairness and equity despite overwhelming evidence in support of our demand. This action shall be indefinite until otherwise directed by the secretaries of the unions,” the unions wrote.
to the company’s poor handling of staff welfare.
It was also learnt that the employees had asked for salary increase and improved conditions of service which the company did not only refuse but went a step further by challenging the staff union in court.
