Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos experienced significant disruptions on Monday, as several international passengers found themselves stranded. This situation arose when multiple airlines were compelled to divert flights due to a strike initiated by workers of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) over salary-related grievances. In a statement, NAHCO acknowledged the difficulties faced by its clients due to the strike, which was undertaken by some staff members despite a court order allegedly prohibiting such actions.
Dr. Olusola Obabori, the Group Executive Director of NAHCO, expressed regret over the inconveniences caused by the industrial action. He emphasized the company’s commitment to negotiation and stated that NAHCO offers one of the best welfare packages among local players in the aviation industry. He assured that the company would take all necessary steps to ensure employee satisfaction while also prioritizing customer service. Dr. Obabori indicated that the situation would be resolved quickly, as it was detrimental to the staff, the company, and its valued clients.
NAHCO is responsible for handling logistics for several major airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Qatar Airways, and Air France-KLM. The company provides check-in, boarding, and ramp services for both international and domestic carriers. Last week, the National Union of Air Transport Employees and the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria issued a five-day strike notice to NAHCO management, citing slow progress in salary review negotiations. Although NAHCO recently promoted around 2,000 employees, the company requested that negotiations be accelerated in February to stabilize following the financial impact of these promotions.
Despite the strike, NAHCO workers managed to persuade the protesting staff to suspend their actions. A meeting involving NUATE, ATSSSAN, and the company’s management led to the suspension of the strike. As part of peace measures, NAHCO’s management withdrew the lawsuit it had filed against the workers and vacated the previously obtained court order. According to a statement from NAHCO, negotiations regarding staff welfare are set to commence on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, with the expectation that all discussions will conclude within the week, allowing staff to resume work immediately.
During the strike, airlines such as Qatar Airways and RwandAir diverted their flights to Accra and other neighboring countries. Reports indicated that Qatar Airways had to return to Doha with the same passengers when it became clear that the situation would not be resolved quickly. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic was actively seeking to negotiate with the workers’ union to find an amicable resolution, as many of its passengers were students returning to schools in the United Kingdom.
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