Aviation workers protest over non-involvement in planned concession of airports

‎Aviation workers unions on Monday protested at the  ‎Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, demanding that the Federal Government must carry them along in the plan to concession major airports in the country.

The aviation unions which staged the protest include Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, National Union of Air Transport Employees, Association of Aviation Professionals and Nigerian Union of Pensioners.

They expressed displeasure at the ‎manner Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika, is going about the concession of the airports without carrying aviation workers unions along.

The unions also complained that some of their colleagues who were disengaged from service have not been paid their retirement benefits and pension. ‎

‎Carrying banners with inscriptions like ‘Concession of airports lack transparency’, ‘Pay our pension now’ and ‘Resolve MMA2 concession problem now’, the aviation workers marched round the airport, starting from the offices of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

One of the union leaders, Comrade Saidu, insisted that the protest will continue until the government addresses the outstanding issues. ‎

‎He said, “We shall never rest until the government and Aviation Minister listen to our demands.

“We have written series of letters to the minister expressing our reservation about the way he is going about the planned concession.

“You cannot be talking about concession when the one earlier concessioned is still a subject of dispute in court.”‎