By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Aviation workers have announced they will embark on protest next week against the federal government’s policy of deducting 50 percent of internally generated revenue from all airports in the country.
The Aviation workers said the deduction from the federal government has been hurting the running of airport services. The workers added that all efforts to get the government’s attention to halt the deduction have failed.
This was contained in a statement on Wednesday, titled ‘Save Aviation from Collapse – Notice of Nationwide Protest’.
The statement was signed by National Union of Air Transport Employees; Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals; National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers; Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees; and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria leadership.
It read: “All workers of the NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, NiMet, NCAT and NSIB, joined by solidarity of all aviation workers are hereby directed to embark on peaceful protests at all airports nationwide on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 to demand the discontinuation of deduction of 50% from the internally generated revenue of the agencies mentioned above through exemption.
All efforts on our part have failed to impress it upon the Federal Government that all the Agencies are cost recovery and not profit-making organizations. As such they cannot survive on half of their incomes under any model of administration or any other guise whatsoever.
“Information available to us indicates that some important safety, critical activities of the Agencies are grinding to a halt under the yoke of the deductions. It has, therefore, become incumbent on us as trade
unions and workers in aviation to let the public and the government be aware that we shall bear no responsibility in the certain event that the industry becomes dysfunctional as a result of financial
incapacity due to the deductions at source.
“All State Councils, Women Commissions/Committees, Youth Councils and Branches of our Unions nationwide are to fully mobilize for, and ensure full compliance and success of the peaceful protests