Aviation unions suspend strike, flights resume
Aviation unions have temporarily suspended their industrial action, allowing airlines to resume flights after a day of disruption left passengers stranded.
Domestic airlines have begun restoring flight operations after aviation unions temporarily suspended their industrial action, hours after the action disrupted flights and left passengers stranded at airports in Lagos and Abuja. The temporary suspension has eased the immediate disruption to air travel, although the dispute between the unions and airline operators remains unresolved.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, Osifo-Whiskey Efe, spokesperson for Air Peace, said the airline had resumed operations but was still working to accommodate passengers affected by the industrial action. Mr Efe said the airline operates about 70 regional and international flights daily and had cancelled 29 flights as of Tuesday afternoon, with further cancellations possible as it worked to determine how many flights could operate with passengers waiting at the airports.
United Nigeria Airlines also announced the resumption of its flight operations following the temporary suspension of the industrial action. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the airline said its scheduled morning flights had been affected by the action.
The resumption came after hours of disruption during which passengers at airports in Lagos and Abuja were unable to proceed with some scheduled journeys. The industrial action followed a dispute between aviation unions and domestic airlines over the remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and allegations concerning workers’ freedom to join trade unions. However, the unions indicated that the action could resume today, with other airlines potentially targeted in subsequent phases.
The truce is fragile. The unions have suspended the strike, but they have not called it off. The dispute over the TSC and union rights remains unresolved. Airlines are scrambling to accommodate stranded passengers, but the threat of further disruption looms.
This echoes the 2019 aviation union strikes, which also disrupted flights and left passengers stranded. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a standoff that disrupted travel and damaged the industry.
The winners: passengers, who can now travel; and the airlines, which have resumed operations. The losers: the unions, which have not achieved their demands; and the Nigerian aviation industry, which faces uncertainty.
Bottom Line: Flights have resumed after unions suspended their strike. The dispute is not resolved. The question is whether the truce will hold or the strike will resume.