By Peace Udugba- The Daily Torch Media
Flight operations at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, were disrupted early Tuesday following a protest by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the unionisation of workers at Air Peace.
The protest reportedly began at about 5 a.m. and affected activities at the Zulu Terminal, where the entrance was locked, leaving passengers scheduled for early-morning flights stranded.
One of the affected flights, an Air Peace service scheduled to depart Lagos at 6:30 a.m., was unable to take off as passengers waited at the terminal amid the disruption.
The development caused frustration among travellers, with some passengers expressing concern over the uncertainty surrounding the resumption of flight operations.
A passenger who spoke about the incident told Daily Trust that the delay had disrupted his schedule, adding that he was unable to determine when the flight would eventually depart.
Another traveller said she had arrived at the airport early enough for the 6:30 a.m. flight but was left stranded without clear information on when normal operations would resume.
A staff member of Air Peace confirmed the disruption, saying, “Yes, it’s true,” but declined to comment on the reason for the protest.
However, an aviation industry operator familiar with the development said the protest was aimed at compelling the airline’s employees to exercise their right to belong to a trade union.
The dispute over unionisation at Air Peace has featured previously in labour relations within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
In 2017, aviation unions, backed by the NLC, moved to picket the airline over allegations that workers were being denied access to trade unions. Air Peace rejected the allegations at the time and maintained that its employees had the right to voluntarily decide whether to belong to a union.
The Federal Government has also previously affirmed the right of workers, including aviation employees, to unionise under Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, while urging airlines and labour unions to resolve industrial disputes through dialogue.
Air Peace’s current position on Tuesday’s protest was not immediately available beyond the confirmation provided by the staff member.
Efforts to reach the airline through its customer-care line were unsuccessful, as calls to the line could not be connected at the time of filing this report.
The disruption left passengers at the Lagos airport awaiting further information on the situation and the resumption of normal flight operations.
