NUATE commence indefinite strike over N30k salary

The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has launched an indefinite strike in protest of their monthly salary of N30,000. The union has halted their services and has called upon the Aviation Security (AVSEC) and logistics sub-sectors to join the strike.

In an official circular directed to key authorities including the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Commissioner of Police for Airports Command, the Airport Commandant, and the Director of the Department of State Security (DSS) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos Command, NUATE’s General Secretary, Comrade Ocheme Aba, expressed the union’s frustration.

Despite the union’s attempts to resolve the ongoing crisis of employee impoverishment within the Aviation Security (AvSec) and logistics sub-sectors of Nigeria’s aviation industry, their efforts have been in vain. The circular highlights the dismal situation where graduates are earning as little as N30,000 per month, painting a stark picture of the AvSec employment as akin to a form of modern-day slave labor.

In light of the unaddressed concerns, NUATE has decided to take drastic action. The circular, referencing their ultimatum letter dated June 26, 2023, instructs all workers in aviation logistics companies across Nigeria to cease their services starting from August 16, 2023, indefinitely. The strike will persist until fair remuneration demands are met.

It is important to note that only NUATE’s National Secretariat has the authority to issue further directives on this matter. The State Councils and Branches of NUATE in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu have been directed to ensure complete compliance with this notice, reaffirming the union’s determination to achieve just compensation for its members.