Passengers stranded at Owerri airport as NLC enforces no-flight order

Passengers stranded at Owerri airport as NLC enforces no-flight order

Many air passengers were stranded at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, on Thursday.

This was due to an industrial action embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Imo State.
The strike followed a faceoff between the state government and the workers’ union.
The union had accused the state government of assaulting some of its members during the May Day rally in Owerri
The NLC barred flights from taking off and landing at the airport instructing workers in the aviation sector to down tools.
Hundreds of airline travellers who were unaware of the development were stranded.
At the Sam Mbakwe Airport and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, where the labour union had also declared a “No flight to Owerri action,” flights to and fro Imo State have been seriously disrupted forcing passengers coming to the state to make alternative arrangements.
NLC Secretary General, Emmanuel Ugboaja, had in a letter stated that labour would embark on a comprehensive industrial action against the state government with effect from Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
The communiqué read in part, “It was resolved that we embark on a comprehensive industrial action against the State Government beginning from Wednesday the 3rd day of May 2023. Consequently, as part of our effort to enforce compliance, you are kindly requested to work with the TUC and other affiliates especially those in the Aviation sector to ensure that no flight leaves the Lagos Airport to Owerri, Imo state starting from 12 midnight today.
“The government of Imo State has grossly violated the rules of engagement among the social partners in industrial relations in the country by using thugs to violently disrupt this year’s May Day in Imo State, that properties were vandalised and looted by the invading thugs of the government and that some workers sustained various degrees of injuries as a result of that attack.”
Among the demands, the union said the state government must sign the agreement reached between it and workers in the month of March 2023.

Air Peace reacts

An NLC source said the labour chose to disrupt Air Peace operations so that its strike action in Imo would have national impact as Air Peace operates over 80 flights daily.

Reacting to the development, Air Peace in a statement expressed shock over the disruption of the airline’s services.

It recalled that the NLC and TUC officials stormed the Lagos airport and took over “our counter, disrupting all our operations because of an alleged misunderstanding they had with Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State. They had written us yesterday, saying that no flight should be operated into Owerri today because, as alleged, Governor Uzodimma disrupted their May Day activities few days ago.”

Passengers stranded at Owerri airport as NLC enforces no-flight order