By Ado Oyeyemi
Aviation workers have issued a seven day ultimatum to airline operators and other organisations indebted to aviation agencies over the non remittance of the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge, warning that failure to comply could trigger nationwide picketing.
The directive was jointly issued by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Air Transport Employees following the expiration of an earlier 14 day ultimatum served on July 8, which lapsed on July 23 without compliance by the affected operators.
The unions said the Ticket Sales Charge, a statutory levy collected on every airline ticket sold in Nigeria, is meant to be remitted to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority for distribution among aviation agencies to support their operations.
In a statement jointly signed by the General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Frances Akinjole, and the Deputy General Secretary of NUATE, Odinaka Igbokwe, the unions expressed concern over what they described as the persistent refusal of some airlines and other operators to remit the charges.
According to the statement, the continued non remittance has deprived aviation agencies of funds required to maintain safe and efficient operations while also affecting the welfare and conditions of service of workers.
The unions warned that the prolonged withholding of the statutory deductions poses a serious threat to the safety and security of Nigeria’s aviation industry by weakening the operational capacity of key agencies.
They maintained that the lack of access to the funds had also demoralised workers, describing the situation as a significant risk to the country’s air transport system.
The workers said they could no longer remain silent over the development and gave all defaulting airline operators and other indebted organisations seven days to clear their outstanding obligations.
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They warned that if the debts remain unpaid after the deadline, the unions would embark on picketing and other industrial actions at the premises of the affected organisations.
