By George Ozalla
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has stepped into the dispute between aviation labour unions and airlines over outstanding Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) payments, with the Director General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, asking the unions to suspend their planned picketing of indebted airlines.
The intervention followed a three day notice issued on August 7 by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), threatening industrial action against airlines over outstanding TSC debts and what the unions described as restrictions on workers’ freedom to join unions of their choice.
The unions had demanded that airlines remit outstanding operational funds owed to aviation agencies and issue clear communication to their employees that they were free to join unions without fear of victimisation.
But the NCAA said the airlines concerned had already started paying their old TSC debts under an arrangement reached with the Authority.
According to the NCAA, the airlines first paid 10 per cent of their outstanding old debts, with the balance to be settled through scheduled instalment payments. A 30 per cent waiver was also granted on the old debts.
Najomo and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, intervened when the unions moved to commence picketing, with the NCAA DG informing the unions that the airlines had begun servicing the debts under the agreed arrangement.
The Authority said it could not use labour to recover debts owed by airlines, stressing that the NCAA, as the industry regulator, has established regulatory channels for dealing with airlines over their financial obligations.
The development comes amid questions over the actual payment position of airlines. While some carriers have accumulated historical TSC debts, available figures show that major domestic airlines continue to remit current regulatory charges to the NCAA.
Aero Contractors, United Nigeria Airlines and Air Peace, for instance, are reported to be paying hundreds of millions of naira monthly through TSC, Cargo Sales Charge and Charter Sales Charge. Air Peace alone reportedly pays about N2 billion monthly, while United Nigeria Airlines pays about N600 million and Aero Contractors between N250 million and N400 million, depending on passenger and cargo traffic.
The dispute has therefore centred largely on old liabilities rather than a halt in current payments by the airlines.
The unions’ position also extends beyond the TSC issue. They have accused some airlines of making it difficult for employees to join trade unions, demanding that affected operators formally inform their workers that they are free to belong to unions of their choice.
The NCAA intervention is coming at a time when the Authority is trying to keep airline operations stable while recovering accumulated statutory charges from operators. Najomo has maintained that regulation must not push airlines out of business, even as the Authority expects operators to meet their financial obligations.
The unions’ planned action had raised concern within the industry because picketing airlines could disrupt scheduled flights and create difficulties for passengers, particularly if the action spread beyond individual carriers.
With the affected airlines already making payments under the agreement reached with the NCAA, the Authority is seeking to resolve the outstanding issues without allowing the disagreement between the unions and operators to turn into a wider disruption of air travel.
