Air Peace operations were disrupted in Lagos and Abuja on Tuesday after aviation labour unions commenced picketing of the airline over alleged violations of workers’ unionisation rights and outstanding ticket sales charges.
The action, which began in the early hours of Tuesday, left passengers stranded at the affected airports as union members restricted access to parts of the airline’s operations.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) carried out the picketing with the backing of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
In Lagos, the Zulu Terminal gate was reportedly locked from about 5am, disrupting an Air Peace flight scheduled to depart at 6:30am and leaving passengers waiting for clarity on when operations would resume.
Passengers expressed frustration over the disruption, with some saying the uncertainty had affected their travel plans. An Air Peace staff member confirmed that the disruption was taking place but declined to comment on its cause.
The unions had earlier issued a notice on August 4 warning that they could commence industrial action if their grievances against defaulting airlines were not resolved.
According to the labour groups, they had given Air Peace several weeks to address the issues through dialogue but resorted to picketing after efforts to reach a resolution failed.
The unions alleged that the airline had restricted some employees from freely joining trade unions of their choice, despite repeated engagements aimed at securing recognition of workers’ freedom of association.
They also accused the airline of failing to remit ticket sales charges owed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which the unions said are required to support the operations of aviation agencies and the implementation of negotiated conditions of service for their workers.
The labour groups maintained that the picketing was intended to compel Air Peace to respect workers’ rights and meet its financial obligations to the aviation sector.
The disruption comes days after NUATE and ATSSSAN issued a separate three-day strike notice to defaulting domestic airlines over similar grievances, including alleged restrictions on unionisation and non-remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge.
Air Peace operations in Lagos and Abuja are expected to remain affected while the unions continue their action. Attempts to reach the airline for an official response were unsuccessful at the time of filing the report.
