Flight operations are set to resume as labour unions have temporarily suspended the strike for one week.
This is coming after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) suspended their industrial action – over a lack of consensus on a new minimum wage and the hike in electricity tariff – for one week.
A visit by BusinessDay to the airport showed unions in the aviation industry have dismantled all barricades at the domestic wings of the airport, allowing both people and vehicular movement to resume.
Although the airport environment remains relatively deserted following the strike’s suspension, operators are optimistic that some passengers will be flown today, gradually reducing the backlog of passengers scheduled for Monday and Tuesday flights.
Read also: International flights undisrupted as unions again shut down local airports
Airline operators, who anticipated the strike’s suspension are preparing to restart flight operations.
Ocheme Aba, the General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), confirmed the end of the strike, stating that all members have been mobilized back to their offices
“Due to the agreement with the presidency, the strike will be relaxed for one week starting from now to enable the tripartite committee concluded deliberations on the minimum wage negotiation so, flight operations will resume now, have resumed actually because all the blockages have been removed”
Normal activities at the airport are expected to fully resume by Wednesday
Labour unions in Nigeria downed tools on Monday to register their grievances over the hike in electricity tariff and lack of consensus on a new minimum wage.
The development led to several flight cancellations across Nigeria as unions as aviation unions shut down several airports across the country.