Aviation unions under the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, have opted out of the two day warning strike called by their parent body.

The leadership of the unions say, the reason for this is that, they cannot afford to jeopardize the industry’s safety record before the global community as it is currently undergoing the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program, USOAP.

ICAO is the United Nation’s body that oversees civil aviation globally.

The audit is to ascertain Nigeria’s safety records in compliance with the organization’s standards and recommended practices.

The unions who opted out of the strike are the Association of Nigeria Professionals, ANAP, National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN.

One of the union’s Secretary General, comrade Abdulrazak Saidu of ANAP in a chat with our aviation correspondent said, the concerned unions reached an agreement to back out of the warning strike last night because of the dare consequences it may have on the industry with the ongoing audit.

“We made so consultation and some people called us that ICAO audit is there and it would be very dangerous for Nigeria because it took us a long time and energy for them to put things in order to pass the audit, that is the reason we opt out of the warning strike”.

He disclosed that, a circular had been send to all its members to report to their duty post and carry on their assigned job.

In a related development, the Director Human Resources and Administration, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Alhaji Adamu Wakil had also in a circular signed on behalf of the Director General, Civil Aviation, Captain Musa Nuhu urged all staff to report to their duty post today as failure to comply would be considered sabotage of the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme, USOAP.

Our Aviation Correspondent Nosa Aituamen who also went round the Lagos airport both local International terminals reports that, flight activities are ongoing as usual without any likelihood of disruptions from the unions.