Air Peace yesterday commended the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) for preventing the disruption of its flight operations by aviation unions.
The airline lauded the security operative for responding to it call
and discharging their responsibility to protect law-abiding members of
the public with a great sense of professionalism.
It will be recalled that members of the National Union of Air
Transport Employees (NUATE) and other aviation unions had threatened to
picket local airlines over claims of casualisation and refusal to grant
them recognition for the purposes of unionising aviation workers.
The airline dismissed the unions’ claims of casualisation of workers,
describing it as a failed attempt to give legitimacy to the “illegal”
picketing. The airline also maintained that it had no legal obligation
to compel any member of its staff to recognise or join any of the unions
in the aviation sector.
Cautioning the unions to drop their plan to disrupt its operations,
the carrier urged the police, FAAN and other security agencies to
intervene to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
Early on Thursday, police, DSS and FAAN aviation security personnel
took positions at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala
Muhammed Airport to douse the mounting tension and prevent a clash
between the unions and staff of the airline.
Corporate Communications Manager of Air Peace, Chris Iwarah, said the
security agents deployed to the airport to prevent a clash between the
unions and its staff conducted themselves in a professional manner.
The airline confirmed that the proactive steps taken by the police,
DSS and FAAN saved its flights from being disrupted by “jobless
unionists who are only out to deceive members of the public and exploit
unsuspecting workers.”
The airline described the picketing exercise by the unions on
Thursday as “unpopular and weak,” commending its staff for shunning
attempts by “unpatriotic elements masquerading as labour leaders” to use
them to reverse the success of the carrier.
Air Peace pledged to continue to use all legitimate means to prevent
the disruption of its flight operations by the unionists, who threatened
to return another day to picket the airline.
