Few hours to the commencement of the nationwide strike over the increase in pump price and hike in electricity tariff, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has disassociated themselves from the action.

Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa, the President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) in a statement said that the association would not join the strike called by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Abdulmunaf noted that airlines had suffered huge losses for over three months during the COVID-19 lockdown and were forced due to no fault of theirs to even lay off staff and significantly reduce the salaries of those that were retained.

He said: “It would be very insensitive therefore and a show of lack of understanding and compassion for Nigerian aviation workers who have suffered greatly from the nationwide restrictions due to the pandemic to be asked to go on strike indefinitely once again.

“Aviation workers need to work to sustain their livelihoods and support their families especially at this crucial time when schools are resuming around the country and they need all the financial support they can muster to survive.”

AON however said that the association in totally undersrood the concerns of labour of the need to make government see reason with and identify with the challenges being faced currently by the masses.

He emphasized that this was recently worsened by the ripple effects from the sudden increase in fuel price and electricity tariff.

AON called on the leaders of the various labour unions to continue to dialogue with government to find a middle ground that would be a win-win situation for all parties.

The AON helmsman insisted that it was not in the interest of aviation workers to be asked to go back home indefinitely once again after they barely resumed operations.

He lamented that the airlines were still trying to recover from the lockdown and making concerted efforts to survive and secure the jobs and livelihood of its workers.