In spite of the total shutdown proposed by the organised labour unions in the ongoing nationwide strike, normal activities continued on Thursday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
NAN reports that normal flight operations are smoothly ongoing at both the arrival and departure sections of the airports.
NAN also observed that all major airlines were booking and boarding passengers with airport staff fully on ground for normal services.
Mr Abdulahi Saroke, Station Manager for Max Air, told NAN the strike had not affected flight operations in all airports, adding that he had received flights from Lagos and Kano and boarded passengers to those airports.
However, Saroke said he had heard the news that airports could be shut anytime to join the strike.
When contacted, Mr Francis Akinjole, General Secretary, Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), said that all aviation unions in the country were currently attending their national delegates conference at Asaba, Delta.
Akinjole explained that the delegates conference, at which a new leadership of the National Union of Air Transpirt Employees (NUATE), would be elected, had been planned before the decision by the labour unions to embark on a nationwide strike.
He said the reason why the strike had yet to be enforced at the airports was because all aviation union leaders were out of their stations.
According to him, aviation unions are strongly with the NLC on the strike even though we are not on ground to enforce it today.
“We are currently in Asaba for NUATE’s national delegates conference for today and tomorrow and we shall enforce the compliance in aviation sector as soon as we finish from here,” he said.
A staff of Abuja Airport, who pleaded anonymity, said their various unions had not mobilised them to join the strike.
He said a lot of airport workers were willing to support the strike to press home the demands for a new minimum wage in the country.
According to him, what the labour is fighting for is for the benefit of all workers which is why every worker must be part of this agitation.