Strike: Aviation Union faults FG, joins university workers in solidarity protest

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has scrutinized the Federal Government over its treatment of the emergencies in the country’s educational sector.

In a statement on Monday by its Deputy General Secretary, Umoh Ofonime, NAAPE communicated stress over the stalemate between the public authority and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which has grounded academic activities in public universities across the country.

ASUU had started a cross country strike on February 14 over the reception of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) of the public authority as the installment framework in the university sector.

Members had additionally discredited the unfortunate subsidizing of universities, non-payment of salaries and allowances of some of their colleagues, as well as the inability of the government to pay earned academic allowance to lecturers, among other issues.

Since the modern activity started, a few exchanges between the association and the government have finished in deadlock.

NAAPE, in its response, trusts the government’s refusal to respect the agreement signed with ASUU for north of 10 years is upsetting, taking into account the adverse consequence the drawn out strike will make on students’ lives.

Subsequently, it proclaimed its help for the administration of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) to start a cross country fight on Tuesday and Wednesday one week from now in solidarity with the trade unions in the public universities and others.

NAAPE, in this manner, coordinated its branch executives and secretaries in every one of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to urge members to take part in the solidarity demonstration.

Worried by the lingering crises in the tertiary training area, the NLC had declared plans to start a two-day nationwide protest in solidarity with the striking members of unions in the public universities.

The declaration was contained in a roundabout dated July 15, 2022, and addressed to the chairpersons and secretaries of its state councils.

It coordinated that the fights ought to take off from NLC secretariats in the states, while that of Abuja ought to start from the Labor House in the country’s capital.

Read the full statement by NAAPE below:

OUR CHILDREN IN THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS CANNOT REMAIN AT HOME IN PERPETUITY

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has observed with regret how the Federal Government of Nigeria is treating the crises in the educational sector of the country whereby due to strikes, teaming Nigerian students have remained at home for over four (4) months.

The refusal of the Federal Government to honour the agreement signed with the union since 2009 is very disturbing considering the negative impact the prolonged strike will create in the life of these children.

NAAPE, therefore, completely support the position of the National Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to embark on a nationwide protest on July 26 and 27, 2022 in solidarity with the trade unions in the Nigeria Public Universities and others.

By this, the National Administrative Council have directed all branch chairmen/secretaries are requested to disseminate this information to all the members in their various branches to participate in the solidarity protest in their various states as follows:

Date: Tuesday 26, July 2022 and Wednesday 27, July 2022.

Venue: All the states’ capitals of the federation and Abuja the federal capital

Take off Point:   NLC State Secretariats and the Labour House, Abuja.

Kindly comply as directed.

Umoh Ofonime T.

Deputy General Secretary