Aviation workers protest exclusion of MMA from airport concession

Aviation workers protest exclusion of MMA from airport concession

 

By Maureen Ikpeama

 

 

 

Aviation workers unions had carried out a  protest 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.

 

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.

 

 Comrade Saidu,, a member of the Union said 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.”‎

 

The 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.