The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has summoned officials of two major aviation unions over the disruption of flight operations linked to their August 11 industrial action against Air Peace in a bid to settle the stage for a fresh confrontation between organised labour and the airline.
The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, disclosed that its officials had been invited to the police headquarters in Abuja to answer questions over the picketing exercise. The National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, has also received a similar invitation.
ATSSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, said the unions were expected at the police headquarters at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
According to him, the invitation followed complaints allegedly filed by Air Peace over the August 11 action. The allegations listed by the police include conspiracy, threatening violence, inciting disturbance of public peace, assault occasioning harm, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
The union rejected the characterisation of the industrial action; it said the police invitation was an attempt at “reckless intimidation” by the airline.
Akinjole maintained that the August 11 picketing was lawful and said ATSSSAN would attend the police invitation to give its account of what transpired during the disruption.
“We have decided to honour the invitation together with a sizable number of our officers and members, principally in order to put the occurrence in the correct perspective and to dare the intimidation by Air Peace,” he said.
The union’s response has also introduced a fresh concern over the possible effect of the police action on airport operations.
Akinjole cautioned that if its officials were detained beyond what was necessary for questioning, the union might be unable to guarantee the continuation of air services at airports across the country.
He said ATSSSAN would cooperate with the police and present its account of the events surrounding the picketing.
The dispute between the unions and Air Peace had escalated on August 11 when ATSSSAN and NUATE grounded the operations of some airlines, including Air Peace.
The unions cited alleged debts owed aviation agencies and the airline management’s alleged refusal to allow its employees to belong to labour unions of their choice.
The airport disruption prompted the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who summoned aviation stakeholders to an emergency meeting aimed at preventing another interruption of flight services.
The police invitation, therefore, has now added a law-enforcement dimension to a dispute that began as a labour disagreement.
However, for ATSSSAN, the police appearance is an opportunity to put its version of the August 11 events on record. The union has also signalled that the handling of its officials could have consequences for aviation operations if they are detained for longer than necessary.
The police have yet to publicly disclose the outcome of the investigation, while the allegations contained in the invitation remain allegations.
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