The National President, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, Comrade John Ogbe, has congratulated Nigerian workers, especially those in aviation, on this year’s International Workers’ Day.
He used the day to raise fresh concerns about the sector.
Speaking to mark the occasion, comrade Ogbe said the celebration comes with mixed feelings, as airlines continue to struggle with operational pressures linked to the global energy crisis.
He urged the federal government to act swiftly by ensuring easier access to aviation fuel at affordable rates, warning that the stability of the industry depends largely on keeping aircraft in the air.
The ATSSSAN President also renewed calls for the payment of long-overdue entitlements to former workers of Nigerian Airways, noting that despite government approval over a year ago, many retirees are yet to be paid.
He appealed to relevant authorities to fast-track the process as a meaningful Workers’ Day gesture.
Comrade Ogbe further criticized restrictions on workers’ rights to unionize in parts of the industry, insisting that freedom of association remains a legal right.
Amid current economic challenges, he called for better wages and improved working conditions, while commending aviation workers for their resilience in sustaining operations nationwide.
Also speaking on the day, the National President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ben Nnabue, called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s aviation sector, warning that insecurity, poverty, and poor welfare conditions remain major threats to safety and efficiency in the industry.
He congratulated Nigerian aviation workers for contributing to the country’s recent 91.45 percent ICAO safety audit score, but said the achievement is being undermined by worsening economic hardship, wage erosion, and increasing operational pressures across airlines.
The union leader raised particular concern over the management of Arik Air and Aero Contractors under the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), describing the corporation’s continued involvement as increasingly problematic.
According to him, AMCON lacks the technical competence required to manage aviation enterprises, and its interventionist approach has contributed to instability, poor funding decisions, and counterproductive administrative actions, including personnel redeployments that disrupt operations.
He called for the immediate divestment of AMCON’s holdings in the airlines through transparent market processes and urged government to consider targeted fiscal relief, including tax waivers, to stabilise the carriers and protect jobs.
The NUATE president also highlighted broader industry concerns, including the rising cost of aviation fuel, resistance to unionisation by some employers, and delayed implementation of workers’ conditions of service across aviation agencies.
He warned that continued erosion of workers’ welfare poses risks not only to livelihoods but also to flight safety.
Nnabue further drew attention to unresolved entitlements of former Nigerian Airways workers, calling for accelerated payment of pensions already approved by government, and condemned ongoing labour disputes involving foreign carriers operating in Nigeria.
He, however, reaffirmed the union’s commitment to defending workers’ rights, insisting that aviation employees must be protected through fair wages, decent conditions, and respect for collective bargaining.
The union leader urged government to treat aviation as a strategic national asset requiring competent and professional oversight.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen