FG's Ban On Aviation Workers' Strike Won't Stand - TUC

 

The Trade Union Congress has warned the FG that its plan to ban industrial action in the Aviation Industry will not stand.

 

The TUC President, Festus Osifo made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

 

He said the proposed ban was a serious threat to industrial peace and harmony in the country, adding that it will impact the forthcoming election and handing over negatively.

 

“And forceful implementation of this directive by the government will be met with stiff resistance that might lead to the breakdown of law and order in the country,” he said.

 

Osifo, however, noted that the Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, who announced the ban on behalf of the Buhari administration should know that the aviation law he refers to which he claims empowers the government to ban strikes, can override neither the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria nor the fundamental rights of Nigerians to withdraw their labour if they deem it necessary.

 

He said, “This is unambiguously stated in the ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and the Right to organize.

 

The TUC boss further said the government and its handlers should always do everything possible to address issues of welfare raised by different unions and also respect the letters of any collective agreement that it entered into.

 

“This is the only way strike can be averted and not by any surreptitious or clandestine moves or pronouncements,” he said adding that there is no sector whose services is not essential; “Is it health or Education?”

 

The labour leader explained further that Section 40 of the Constitution also states that Nigerians have the fundamental right to unionization.

 

According to Usifo, there is no more fundamental right in unionization than that of workers to unite and struggle for their interests which also includes industrial action.

 

He said, “The Minister’s claim that strikes are unnecessary because: “As a government, our ears are always open, the government is open to listening to any grievances and there are procedures for dealing with these kinds of grievances” sounds hollow.

 

The TUC president however stressed that strike in the aviation industry is not a peculiarly Nigerian issue; “it is a right exercised universally by workers”.

He opined that in the past few months, airport and airline staff in France, Belgium, Portugal and Italy have gone on strike.

 

He equally said that the same week that aviation staff went on strike in Nigeria, their counterparts in some other countries also did.

 

“It is wishful thinking for the Federal Government to think it can trample on the rights of Nigerian workers,” he said.

 

Usifo stressed that any attempt by the federal government to enforce an illegal ban on strikes will be vigorously resisted.

 

 

He added that the Buhari administration should rather concentrate on good governance, make petroleum products available, protect Nigerians against rampaging bandits and hyperinflation and allow a peaceful transition of power rather than provoke unnecessary labour unrest.

 

“The TUC calls on all organizations including professional and market associations, student unions and civil society organizations to join in resisting government attempts to abridge the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people when that time comes. A stitch in time saves nine,” he said.