Police Clamp Down On Protesters As Aviation Workers Ground Lagos Airport On Second Day

Posted by Amarachi on Tue 18th Apr, 2023 - tori.ng

The workers who have vowed to totally shut down the aviation sector if their demands were not met commenced the two-day protest across major airports in Nigeria on Monday.

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have clamped down on aviation union protesters, according to SaharaReporters.

The officers have taken over the venue of the protest by aviation workers unions as the unions’ two-day warning strike that commenced on Monday enters the second.

SaharaReporters reported on Monday that the protest ground near the Murtala Muhammad Airport (MMA) General Aviation Terminal (domestic terminals) in Lagos State was barricaded on, grounding vehicular movement on Airport road and thereby leaving passengers stranded and frustrated as they had to trek to the airport.

The aggrieved aviation unions which comprised of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE); Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Employees (NAAPE) are demanding the implementation of the conditions of service for workers of the aviation agencies.

The workers who have vowed to totally shut down the aviation sector if their demands were not met commenced the two-day protest across major airports in Nigeria on Monday.

The protesters had vowed to continue the protest on Tuesday but Daily Trust reports that none of the protesting union members was on the ground at the domestic terminal MMA Lagos on Tuesday while the protest ground had been taken over by security agencies.

It was reported that no fewer than six police vehicles including officers deployed from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), a unit under the police command, were at the protest ground.

However, the unions are said to be currently embarking on a procession towards the international wing of the airport.

The General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Comrade Frances Akinjole, according to a Daily Trust report said that they moved from GAT to embark on a procession to the International Wing.

Meanwhile, it was observed that there was heavy traffic between the domestic and international wings. The gridlock had almost extended to MMA2 along the airport road as of the last time of check on Tuesday.