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Aviation workers have issued a seven-day ultimatum to airline operators and other organisations owing statutory Ticket Sales Charges (TSC), warning that failure to clear the outstanding debts will trigger nationwide picketing of their facilities.
The ultimatum was jointly issued by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) after the expiration of an earlier 14-day notice served on July 8, which lapsed on July 23 without compliance from the affected operators.
The unions said the unpaid five per cent Ticket Sales Charge, a statutory levy collected on every airline ticket sold in Nigeria, is meant to be remitted to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and shared among aviation agencies to support their operations. They lamented that the continued non-remittance has deprived the agencies of vital funds required to maintain safety standards and meet operational obligations.
In a statement signed by ATSSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, and NUATE Deputy General Secretary, Odinaka Igbokwe, the unions condemned what they described as the deliberate refusal of defaulting operators to remit the charges. They warned that the situation was affecting workers\' welfare and weakening the financial capacity of aviation agencies.
According to the unions, the prolonged withholding of the funds has created serious safety and security concerns within the aviation sector, arguing that inadequate funding has become a major source of staff demoralisation and could undermine the safety of Nigeria\'s airspace.
The workers declared that they would no longer tolerate the situation, giving all defaulting airlines and organisations a final seven days to settle their outstanding obligations. They warned that failure to comply would leave the unions with no option but to embark on picketing and other industrial actions at the premises of the affected organisations.
