The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, on Thursday, convened an emergency meeting to foster greater understanding, cooperation, and progress within the Nigerian aviation sector.

This followed previous engagements with the Aviation Sector Unions and the Airline Operators of Nigeria, concerning the temporary suspension of industrial action by the unions on Tuesday

Parts of the previous resolutions reached directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other Heads of Aviation Agencies to obtain a schedule of payments from the airlines, spread over a reasonable timeframe, taking into cognisance the airlines’ cost of operation and current economic realities;

Also, Directors Finance and Accounts in all aviation agencies are expected to meet individual airlines to agree on a realistic repayment plan within one week;

According to a statement by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mahmud Adam Kambari, the minister acknowledges workers’ right to decide whether to join unions.

Kambari also said the minister recognises workers’ right to decide for themselves, rather than through management.

As a result, the NCAA is expected to immediately ensure that the unions have direct access to the workers of ALL AIRLINES, solely to distribute their forms for workers to indicate whether they intend to unionise. The ministry warned that any airline that prevents this direct interface will be sanctioned by the NCAA

“The parties resolved that a meeting shall be reconvened to review the progress and the state of the current situation after one month; and that the resolutions are the collective decisions of all parties,” Kambari said. (The Guardian)