After a two-day warning strike by aviation unions to urge their demand for implementation of their conditions of service, the intentions to demolish agencies’ offices to construct an airport city, and other various demands, there is a protest at the Lagos Airport as travelers stay stranded.
Even though several airlines attempted to fly into Abuja in the early hours, their attempts were thwarted by aviation union members who took control of the airport and blocked the entrance and departure points of the aviation agencies’ annex headquarters with their vehicles.
While everyone was loitering around the airport, employees of the agencies who arrived for work were unable to enter their respective offices, including business owners and personnel.
The unions are demanding the immediate release of the reviewed Condition of Service, CoS as negotiated between them and four aviation agencies for over seven years, implementation of the minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NiMet since 2019, and a halt to the planned demolition exercise of all the agency buildings in Lagos by the Minister of Aviation for an airport city project called metropolis.
Flight operations have been grounded as passengers cannot gain access to the terminals and there is heavy vehicular traffic around the airport environment.
Motorcyclists are making a brisk business of conveying passengers into the terminals while some are stuck in their cars and others alighting from their vehicles, carrying their luggage, and walking down to the terminals.
All roads leading into the airport from Ikeja under the bridge, Agege motor road, Oshodi, and the access toll gate into the airport are blocked as the unions gathered to address the workers at the roundabout at the domestic wing of the airport.
Security agents, the police, the air force, the army, and the state security service are all on the ground to ensure law and order.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA, and the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC are also present to ensure sanity.
Meanwhile, the effect of the shutdown is seen in Lagos with the massive gridlock building around Ikeja and its environs as the unions blocked the access gates cutting off vehicular movement.
Travelers are seen carrying bags to meet up with flights that may not serve them and again, the airlines would once again bear the brunt of the force.
Airline operators who spoke with The Nation said they were flying as aircraft were on the ground but that passengers were delayed due to gridlock caused by the warning strike or trekking to the airport to catch flights.
