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The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has warned that air operations could be disrupted across Nigerian airports if its officials are detained after responding to a police invitation over the August 11 picketing of Air Peace.
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The union is due to appear before the Nigeria Police Force at its Abuja headquarters on Wednesday, September 2, following a complaint by Air Peace alleging conspiracy, threats of violence, incitement, assault occasioning harm and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
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The August 11 action, jointly carried out by ATSSSAN and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), disrupted more than half of Air Peace’s operations and reportedly left thousands of passengers stranded.
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The industrial dispute centres on allegations over Air Peace’s remittance of the five percent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the unions’ demand for workers’ freedom to unionise.
September 01, (THEWILL) — The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has threatened to shut down air operations across the country if its officials are detained for longer than necessary when they honour a police invitation over the August 11 picketing of Air Peace.
The threat escalates the already bitter confrontation between organised labour and Nigeria’s largest airline, raising the prospect of another major disruption to air travel barely three weeks after the unions’ action against the carrier stranded thousands of passengers and reportedly cost the airline more than ₦2 billion in revenue.
ATSSSAN’s General Secretary, Francis Akinjole, disclosed the development in a public notice, saying the union had received an invitation from the Nigeria Police Headquarters in Abuja following complaints filed by Air Peace over the August 11 industrial action.
The police have directed the union to appear at the Force Headquarters at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 2.
Akinjole said ATSSSAN would honour the invitation with a sizeable number of its officers and members, primarily to present its account of what transpired during the picketing and, as he put it, “dare the intimidation by Air Peace”.
He said the allegations contained in the airline’s complaint included conspiracy, threatening violence, inciting disturbance of public peace, assault occasioning harm and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
But the union has rejected the allegations, insisting that the August 11 action was lawful picketing undertaken in pursuit of legitimate labour demands.
More significantly, ATSSSAN warned that the consequences could extend beyond the union’s engagement with the police if its officials were detained.
“However, if we are held by the police for longer than necessary, we may no longer be able to guarantee the continuation of air operations at the various airports across the country immediately”, Akinjole said.
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Fresh Threat After Air Peace Shutdown
The warning comes against the backdrop of the extensive disruption caused by the August 11 industrial action.
ATSSSAN and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), with the backing of the NLC and TUC, had mobilised workers to picket Air Peace over unresolved labour and regulatory grievances.
The action disrupted more than half of Air Peace’s operations that day, affecting scheduled flights and leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports.
The financial consequences of the August 11 confrontation have also added weight to the dispute as Air Peace claimed it lost more than ₦2 billion in revenue as a result of the disruption, while thousands of passengers were unable to travel as scheduled.
The airline subsequently complained to the police, accusing the unions of conduct it considered criminal rather than a legitimate exercise of trade union rights.
The airline alleged that the protesters’ actions involved conspiracy, threats of violence, incitement to disturb public peace, assault occasioning harm and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
Unions Dig In
Despite the police invitation, ATSSSAN appears determined to contest the allegations rather than retreat from its position.
Akinjole said the union would attend the police engagement with a sizeable contingent of its officers and members so that the events of August 11 could be properly explained.
“We have decided to honour the invitation together with a sizable number of our officers and members, principally to enable us to put the occurrence in the correct perspective and to dare the intimidation by Air Peace”, he said.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
