Scores of international airline passengers are currently stranded at the Lagos International airport as one of the ground handling companies staff down tools.
The staff of the Ground handling company, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO commenced their industrial action midnight of Monday due to the failure of the company’s management to address their call for the review of salaries since June, 2022.
NAHCO handles check-in, boarding and ramp services for some international airlines.
A notice of strike was said to have been sent by the Secretaries General of the unions in the two prominent handling companies in the industry, NAHCO and the Skyway Aviation Handling Company, SAHCO, while SAHCO engaged the unions to sheath their sword, NAHCO did not call for dialogue.
Investigation revealed that one of the foreign airlines it handles, Qatar from Doha landed the Lagos airport on Monday morning and when there was no staff to cater to their flight, they returned to Doha with the passengers on board.
While passengers in Nigeria waiting to board the Qatar flight are stranded at the airport.
Also affected by the strike are some of the domestic airlines NAHCO handles.
Already, the domestic airlines have started issuing notices informing their passengers of possible delays and rescheduled flight time for today.
In a notice sent by the Secretaries General, National Union of Transport Employees, NUATE and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, Comrades Ocheme Aba and Frances Akinjole made available to the media, the strike will be indefinite until otherwise directed by the Secretaries of the unions.
