Air Peace Airlines said yesterday that it lost over N2 billion to the disruption of its operations in Lagos and Abuja by aviation workers on Tuesday.
Over 85 per cent of its 100 daily flights were not operated on account of the picketing of its counters by striking members of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).
The three aviation unions embarked on the industrial action over alleged anti-union practices, and withholding statutory funds, including the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) by domestic airlines.
Air Peace, which bore the brunt of the strike, called on the Federal Government to investigate the real reasons for it.
”The disruption caused significant financial damage to Air Peace, estimated at over N2 billion. Yesterday, some of our employees were physically assaulted while peacefully expressing that choice, including a female employee who was left bleeding and bruised, the airline’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Oluwatoyin Olajide, told reporters at a news conference in Lagos.
Olajide said the union members violated the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation (NCAR) security regulations.
Olajide described their action as unlawful interference punishable under extant aviation regulations.
She added that Air Peace was mulling placing the union members on a ‘No Fly List, ‘ or pushing for the possible arrest of any one of them that flies abroad.
Olajide stressed the need for the union members to be severely cautioned, placed under watch and advised never to cross the red lines again.
According to her, the industrial action was unwarranted because the violence, intimidation and disruption meted out on her airline and its employees is not only deeply disturbing, but raises fundamental questions that demand answers.
She said the reasons cited by the union members- five per cent ticket sales charge remittance and lack of unionisation of employees – for picketing Air Peace are untenable.
Olajide argued that the Director- General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority had publicly confirmed that airlines, including Air Peace, comply with the directives of the regulator on applicable payments.
She said: ‘ This raises a fundamental question: if the issue is industry-wide, why was Air Peace singled out for violent and disruptive picketing?
”On unionisation, over 98 per cent of Nigerian airlines do not have unions. The staff members of Air Peace have made it abundantly clear that they do not wish to form any union within Air Peace. This is within their constitutional rights.’