Turkish Airlines to airlift passengers after Labour dispute
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The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has temporarily brokered peace between Turkish Airlines and the National Union of Air Transport Employees.
Aviation union with its mother union, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday, shut the airlines over allegations that the airline management sacked seven and was still planning on sacking more for unionisation.
This imbroglio led to the strandedness of over 300 travelers at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, following the airline’s inability to airlift them to Istanbul.
On Thursday, the regulatory body brokered peace between the duo allowing the European carrier to airlift its Nigeria passengers who have been stranded for more than 24 hours at the airport.
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Following the NCAA intervention, NUATE has temporarily agreed to shelve further interruption of Turkish Airlines operations in Lagos and Abuja to allow the airlift of stranded passengers both inbound and outbound the country, after which the picketing will continue.
The truce was reached after a meeting with the representative of the Acting Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, who is also the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA and the management of the Turkish airline.
Speaking shortly after the peace meeting, NCAA’s spokesperson confirmed that the airline will now airlift the delayed travellers.
“Just as we can see here we have been able to resolve the matter at hand and the Turkish airlines will airlift the travellers after which further discussions can resume.”
Also speaking, Vice Chairman, Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Olabisi Idowu, noted that the union will only allow the airlines to airlift the stranded travellers while the picketing shall continue until the union’s demands are adhered to.
The organised labour had stated that it would not back down until their colleagues sacked by the European airlines over unionisation were reinstated back to the aviation company.
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Idowu said, “At the intervention of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, as well as the Nigerian Police Force and Directorate of State Security, Airports Command, the Congress has decided to allow the passengers stranded at the Lagos and Istanbul airports who were booked on the flights for 21/05/2024 to be airlifted by Turkish Airlines. This decision is purely on humanitarian grounds.
“The picketing exercise other than as allowed above shall remain firmly in place until all the demands of NLC are fully met.”
The truce meeting had representatives of NUATE led by its General Secretary, Aba Ochema, the Regional Manager of NCAA, Mrs Bukola Teriba among others.
