The fallout from Tuesday’s industrial action by aviation workers’ unions continued to reverberate on Wednesday, with Air Peace alleging that the disruption cost it more than N2bn and thousands of passengers left stranded across major airports.
More than 100 flights operated by Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines were either cancelled or disrupted after the unions picketed Air Peace at the Lagos and Abuja airports.
The action, led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), with the backing of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), was primarily directed at Air Peace.
At the centre of the dispute is the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), which the unions accused airlines of failing to remit to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The unions had earlier issued three stages of warning before commencing the picketing, insisting that they had given the affected airlines several weeks to address their grievances.
Labour also accused some domestic airlines of frustrating workers’ efforts to join trade unions, alleging that employees were afraid to express interest in union membership because of possible discrimination or victimisation.
The unions described Tuesday’s action as a restrained response after what they said were prolonged efforts to resolve the issues.
The dispute between labour and the Airline Operators of Nigeria has largely centred on alleged non-remittance of the five per cent charge, which is collected from passengers and intended to fund aviation agencies.
The unions have also alleged that the failure to remit the funds had stalled the implementation of collective bargaining agreements negotiated for workers in aviation agencies.
United Nigeria joins action
The industrial action also disrupted the operations of United Nigeria Airlines after the carrier suspended flights in solidarity with Air Peace.
Findings showed that about 70 Air Peace flights were affected, while more than 30 United Nigeria flights were disrupted.
A senior official of United Nigeria Airlines, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said Boeing aircraft, CRJs, Embraer 190s and Embraer 145s were among the aircraft affected.
According to the official, two Boeing aircraft, each configured to carry 175 passengers, were scheduled to operate four sectors each.
Two CRJs, with capacity for about 90 passengers each, were also scheduled to operate four sectors.
The airline also had two Embraer 190 aircraft, each configured to carry approximately 110 passengers, and two Embraer 145 aircraft, with seating capacity of about 50 passengers each, scheduled for multiple sectors.
Based on the airline’s estimated aircraft capacity and planned operations, United Nigeria could have transported about 1,200 passengers had the disruption not occurred.
The carrier’s suspension of operations was described as an act of solidarity with Air Peace, which the unions accused of having the largest share of the statutory TSC remittance obligations.
Air Peace alleges N2bn loss
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Air Peace Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Oluwatoyin Olajide, rejected the allegations against the airline and described the industrial action as unlawful, violent and disproportionate.
She said the disruption had caused Air Peace financial losses of more than N2bn, apart from the hardship inflicted on passengers and employees.
Olajide argued that the TSC issue was not peculiar to Air Peace, saying the position of the NCAA indicated that airlines were complying with the applicable payment directive.
She therefore questioned why Air Peace was singled out if the dispute was an industry-wide matter.
She also disputed the unions’ claim concerning workers’ freedom to unionise, arguing that most Nigerian airlines were not unionised.
She said, “The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has publicly stated that the airlines, and not Air Peace alone, are complying with the directives of the NCAA regarding the applicable payment.
“If the issue is industry-wide, why was Air Peace singled out for violent and disruptive picketing? Over 98 per cent of Nigerian airlines do not have unions. The employees of Air Peace have made it abundantly clear that they do not wish to form any union within Air Peace. This is within their constitutional rights.”
According to Olajide, Air Peace employees had not been prevented from joining a union but had voluntarily chosen not to do so.
She further alleged that some union members went beyond picketing by urging passengers not to patronise Air Peace.
“It is quite disturbing and curious that the same union members were seen in the videos urging passengers and the flying public not to be flying Air Peace again but the other airlines,” she said.
The Air Peace executive called for a Federal Government investigation, particularly because, according to her, other airlines also had outstanding obligations but had not been subjected to similar action.
‘Our workers were physically assaulted’
Olajide also alleged that some Air Peace employees were physically attacked during the disruption.
She said one female employee was left bleeding and bruised, questioning how the rights of workers could be defended through alleged violence against employees exercising their own constitutional rights.
“Yesterday, some of our employees were physically assaulted while peacefully expressing that choice, including a female employee who was left bleeding and bruised. How can workers’ rights be defended by violently attacking workers exercising their own constitutional rights?” she asked.
She said the incident had raised concerns about security at Nigerian airports, particularly how demonstrators were able to gain access to restricted operational areas.
According to her, the disruption could also undermine confidence in the Nigerian aviation sector, with international partners and aircraft lessors closely watching developments.
“Our passengers equally have constitutional rights, including the right to travel without unlawful interference,” she added.
Olajide said Air Peace had consistently supported Nigerians during difficult periods and contributed to the growth of the aviation industry, making the disruption particularly painful for the airline.
Air Peace cites 2024 court judgment
The airline executive also cited a 2024 judgment of the Federal High Court, which she said restrained the NLC, TUC, NUATE and other unions from coercing Air Peace employees into union membership.
According to Olajide, the judgment declared unlawful any attempt to impose union membership on employees against their wishes and granted a perpetual injunction restraining the unions from harassing Air Peace workers or instigating breaches of the peace.
She consequently accused the unions of violating the court order and aviation security regulations.
Olajide called on the Federal Government, security agencies, airport authorities and aviation regulators to conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
“We have video evidence and other information that can assist in identifying those responsible for the violence and disruption. This is not about being anti-union. It is about constitutional rights, freedom of choice, employee safety, passenger welfare and the rule of law,” she said.
Labour rejects Air Peace’s claims
But the unions rejected Air Peace’s allegations, describing them as baseless and dismissing the airline’s claim that it had been selectively targeted.
The Secretary-General of ATSSSAN, Francis Akinjole, said the union would respond comprehensively to what he described as misinformation being circulated by Air Peace.
He also rejected the airline’s suggestion that it was being persecuted, insisting that the union had the right to determine how it would pursue its demands.
He said, “All those allegations are baseless, and that is their problem, honestly. First, they said we singled them out. Are they the ones to tell us how to carry out our struggle? Meanwhile, they kept talking about patriotism, so do they want us to ground all the airlines at once?
“At the appropriate time, we will speak and react properly. We have seen a lot of the narratives they are spinning, and we will address them all when the time is right.”
The contrasting positions have deepened the dispute between labour and the airline, with both sides now trading allegations over workers’ rights, statutory payments, passenger welfare and the legality of Tuesday’s action.
For passengers, however, the immediate consequence was widespread disruption to scheduled journeys, as cancellations and suspensions left thousands scrambling for alternative flights.
With Air Peace alone reporting losses of more than N2bn and more than 30 United Nigeria flights affected, the total financial impact of the disruption could run into several billions of naira.
The dispute now leaves the Federal Government facing pressure to intervene in the TSC controversy and prevent further industrial action that could disrupt Nigeria’s already fragile aviation sector.