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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Economy & Trade

Keyamo to brief Tinubu on aviation dispute resolution

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Nigeria's Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo will brief President Bola Tinubu on a resolution reached between aviation unions and airlines regarding Ticket Sales Charge disputes.
  • The agreement followed an emergency meeting where parties resolved issues on outstanding payments, workers' union rights, and preventing future disruptions.
  • Key resolutions include spreading airline payments over time and affirming workers' right to unionize, with a follow-up meeting scheduled in one month.

Nigeria's Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is set to brief President Bola Tinubu on the outcome of a crucial meeting aimed at resolving a lingering dispute between aviation sector unions and the Airline Operators of Nigeria. The conflict centered on outstanding Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) payments and workers' rights to unionize.

The emergency meeting, convened by Keyamo, brought together the feuding parties to address grievances that had previously led to the suspension of industrial action and disruptions to flight operations. The minister, who joined the meeting virtually, presided over deliberations that resulted in a five-point resolution.

Key agreements include a plan for the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other aviation agencies to establish payment schedules for airlines with outstanding TSC obligations. These payments will be spread over a reasonable period, considering airlines' operating costs and current economic conditions. Finance directors from aviation agencies are to meet with affected airlines within a week to finalize realistic repayment plans.

On the contentious issue of unionization, Keyamo affirmed the right of aviation workers to choose whether or not to join a trade union. The NCAA has been directed to ensure unions have direct access to workers for distributing membership forms, with workers' preferences to be indicated independently of airline management. Airlines obstructing this process will face sanctions.

Both parties agreed to reconvene in one month to assess the implementation of these resolutions and review the dispute's status. The ministry emphasized that these five resolutions represent the collective decisions reached during the meeting.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and other Heads of Aviation Agencies are to obtain a schedule of payments from the airlines, spread over a reasonable timeframe, taking into cognizance the airlines’ cost of operation and current economic realit

— Ministry StatementOutlining the agreement on how airlines will settle outstanding Ticket Sales Charges.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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