The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company employees, who are being led by the unions, have begun an indefinite strike which is causing several international and local flights at the airport to be grounded.
This morning, passengers at the Murtala Mohammed International airport, Lagos, were left stranded at the airport following an industrial action by members of NAHCO.
Tribune reported that many airlines, including foreign carriers handled by the ground handling business, experienced flight interruptions as a result of the strike that started early today.
Qatar Airways was one of the main international airlines impacted by the strike and was unable to run its early morning flights between Lagos and Doha.
Due to the lack of NAHCO employees, whose primary duties include loading and checking in passenger bags, the Middle East carrier that arrived in the nation early in the morning was forced to fly back to Doha without any passengers.
The workers were previously given notice of the strike by the National Union of Air Transport Employees and the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria, who cited the NAHCO management’s alleged lack of cooperation in addressing the welfare concerns brought up by the workers through the unions.
The workers were instructed to stop providing services across the country by going on an indefinite strike until the problems are resolved in the circular issued by the unions and signed by the general secretaries of NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba, and their counterparts from ATSSSAN, Comrade Francis Akinjole.
All of the airlines managed by NAHCO at the time this report was filed were in disarray, much like their customers.
The Skyway Aviation Handling Company, which performs identical duties to NAHCO, has benefited from the strike NAHCO has initiated.
Information received indicates that some of the impacted airlines, especially foreign ones, have temporarily switched their business to SAHCO, incurring additional costs for the sister company but significant losses for the airlines.
