The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has stepped into the dispute between aviation unions and domestic airlines over unpaid Ticket Sales Charges (TSC), seeking to prevent industrial action from disrupting flight operations.
The intervention followed a three-day strike notice issued by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) against airlines they accused of failing to remit the 5 per cent TSC collected from passengers.
The unions issued the notice on August 7, adding a second demand that airlines allow their workers to join unions of their choice without fear of victimisation.
The unions had earlier issued a picketing notice on August 4 over the TSC dispute. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) opposed the planned action, saying the unions had no role in the collection or remittance of the statutory charge and warning against any disruption to flight operations.
Michael Achimugu, NCAA director of public affairs and consumer protection, said the regulator was intervening because any industrial action could affect flight operations.
He said the NCAA and the airlines had agreed on a repayment plan for the old debts, with the airlines first paying 10 per cent of the outstanding amount and settling the balance through installments.
The repayment arrangement followed a 30 per cent waiver earlier granted on old debts owed by airlines to aviation agencies.
Achimugu also said the unions had been stopped from going ahead with plans to picket airlines last week after the NCAA confirmed that the carriers had started making payments.
The unions, however, said the non-remittance of the TSC had affected the implementation of negotiated conditions of service for aviation agency workers.
The TSC is a statutory five per cent charge collected on airline tickets for flights originating in Nigeria. The current dispute follows an earlier 14-day ultimatum issued by the unions in July over outstanding remittances.
The latest development has shifted the dispute from the earlier ultimatum to efforts by the regulator and airlines to prevent industrial action and keep flight operations running.
