Nigeria’s aviation sector may be heading towards a calmer period after the Federal Government brokered a fresh agreement between aviation unions and airline operators over the lingering dispute surrounding the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC).
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, convened an emergency meeting with representatives of the unions and the Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) in Abuja on Thursday. The meeting was held days after the unions suspended industrial action that disrupted flights at some major airports.
Keyamo, who was outside the country, participated in the meeting virtually and led discussions aimed at finding a lasting solution to the disagreements.
The meeting produced five major resolutions covering unpaid TSC obligations, workers’ union rights and measures to prevent another disruption of flight operations.
One of the major decisions was for the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other aviation agencies to obtain payment schedules from airlines with outstanding financial obligations. The debts will be repaid over an agreed period, taking into account the airlines’ operating costs and the difficult economic environment.
The Directors of Finance and Accounts of the affected aviation agencies are also expected to meet individual airlines within one week to agree on realistic repayment plans.
The issue of workers’ right to belong to trade unions was another major point of discussion. The minister reaffirmed that aviation workers should be free to decide whether they want to join a union.
As part of the agreement, the NCAA was directed to allow unions direct access to workers across airlines to distribute membership forms. Workers, rather than airline management, will then make their own decisions about whether to join a union.
The NCAA is expected to sanction any airline that prevents unions from having access to its workers for this purpose.
The parties also agreed to meet again after one month to review the progress made in implementing the resolutions and assess whether the dispute has been fully addressed.
The disagreement had earlier resulted in industrial action by aviation unions over concerns including alleged non-remittance of the five per cent TSC by some airlines and alleged interference with workers’ attempts to unionise.
The action affected flight operations, particularly those of Air Peace, leaving several passengers stranded at airports before the unions suspended the strike following government intervention.
Keyamo said the Federal Government remained committed to resolving the dispute while protecting the safety, efficiency and financial sustainability of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
Meanwhile, concerns were raised over how airlines are invited to industry meetings. The Managing Director of Aero Contractors reportedly argued that individual airlines should receive direct invitations rather than relying solely on the AON to represent them.
The minister reportedly agreed that future invitations should be addressed directly to individual airlines.
The latest agreement is expected to reduce tension between airline operators, aviation agencies and workers while creating a clearer path for resolving outstanding financial and labour issues in the sector.
