The Federal Government yesterday banned aviation workers from going on strike, saying they were essential service personnel.
It also apologised to those making use of air transportation and vowed never to allow strike in the aviation sector anymore.
Government’s declaration came against the backdrop of recent strike embarked upon by workers of the Nigerian Aviation handling Company, NAHCO, which paralysed both domestic and international flight operations in Lagos and Abuja last week.
Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, who made the declaration while fielding questions from State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, described the action as wrong, inhuman and against the law.
He said the FAAN Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari last year prohibits industrial action and riots in the aviation sector.
He said: “This is very important to the traveling public. First, we apologize to our teeming passengers in this difficult moment.
“Secondly, this will not happen in the future by the grace of God. And the reason is simple, aviation is an essential service.
”The Act has been assented to by the President, so strikes and riots around our airports are prohibited by the laws of the land.
“Now that we have the Act in place and assented to by the President after passage by the National Assembly, we will deal with it according to the law.
“We will ensure no essential service is disrupted by anybody, no matter how aggrieved. There are other channels of resolving issues when they arise but they are not permitted to go on strike because aviation is an essential service and is against the law of the land now.
“I will give you an example, there was an airline that had to return to base because it couldn’t land. Imagine if there was a patient on that aircraft?
”Imagine somebody attending to a very serious issue or matter at hand or business or a student trying to catch up with examination and then because of somebody who is aggrieved, some other person will die.
“Government will no longer allow that. So it’s in the law of the land, check the FAAN Act, it’s been assented to and it’s going to take place soon. In fact, from today, we will not allow that.
“As a government, our ears are always open, government is open to listen to any grievance and there are procedures for dealing with this kind of grievance.
”They should please desist from this, it is wrong, it is inhuman, it is not allowed, it is not permitted and we will not be permitting it any longer.”
