Aviation Workers Plan Nationwide Protest Over Deduction Policy

Aviation workers’ unions in Nigeria have announced plans to stage a peaceful protest on September 18, 2024, at all airports nationwide.

Daily Report Nigeria reports that the protest is in response to the Federal Government’s refusal to reverse the 50 per cent deduction policy from the internally generated revenues of agencies in the aviation sector.

According to a statement by the unions, the decision to protest was made after all efforts to impress upon the government that the agencies are cost-recovery organizations and not profit-making entities failed.

Part of the statement read:

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“All workers of the NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, NiMet, NCAT, and NSIB, joint solidarity of all aviation workers are hereby directed to embark on peaceful protests at all airports nationwide on 18th September 2024 to demand the discontinuation of deduction of 50% from the internally generated revenue of the agencies mentioned above through an exemption.”

The unions involved in the protest include the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN).

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Others include the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).

It stressed that the protest is a result of the unions’ demand for the discontinuation of the deduction from its agencies.

They were the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency(NMA), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

Notably, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy, initially introduced with a 25 per cent deduction from revenue-generating agencies of the Federal Government in October 2022, escalated to 40 per cent shortly after.

However, the current administration increased the deductions to 50 per cent in January 2024, sparking widespread criticism from the aviation sector.

Furthermore, the unions argued that the deductions are unsustainable and threaten the survival of the agencies, which are already struggling to maintain their operations.