How NAHCO workers strike paralyse flight operations for Nigeria and wetin go happun next

Passengers hook on Monday for Lagos and Abuja airport for Nigeria.

Dem hook sake of strike action by staff of di Nigeria Aviation handling company.

Reports say NAHCO staff strike sake of poor pay and bad welfare from dia management.

Dia strike affect flight for Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Nnamdi Azikiwe international according to wetin BBC Pidgin find out.

Fotos show show how pipo full di airport check-in counter area wit luggage everywia.

Murtala Muhammed International airport na one of di busiest airports for di kontri sake of di number of flights wey dey take off and land dia and di number of passengers wey dey pass through di airport on daily basis.

DI staff dey demand for increased salary and better working condition from NAHCO management.

Wetin cause di strike?

One staff of NAHCO wey tok to BBC Pidgin anonymously say dem don dey battle wit poor working condition for a long time now.

Dem no even allow flights to land. Di strike start 3:00am today.

"Passengers cannot travel, dem dey stuck for di airport, infact di one wey come from Qatar don go back. Nobody dey handle anytin dem no gree." She tok.

Di NAHCO staff tok say di mata don dey on for a while but di authorities no gree negotiate wit dem.

"Especially di boys for di ramp, dia salaries dey notin to write home about. Men, family men dey dia, dem get fees to pay, house rent and yet some of dem dia salary no rach 100k.

Di guys na di ones wey dey load di bags for di aircraft, NAHCO own dey dia plus di difficulty of di international airport, di baggage services for international airport dey in a mess, di boys over dia, wen dem leave dat side to come up dem go get body odour like say dem enta inside mud.

Most of di time di carousel for di airport no dey work, di boys go come dey push di bags manually to load am inside di aircraft and yet you no wan make dis boys smile?" She tok.

Passengers dey stranded for airport wit dia luggage as a result of di strike

She also tok say dem bin don dey negotiate wit management but e no get head hence di strike.

Dem don dey do dis toks back and forth, instead of NAHCO management to appease us dem come go court to get injunction say make we no go on strike, na wetin make di boys vex. " She tok.

Inside one notice of strike wey di National Union of Air Transport Employees , NUATE issue NAHCO staff wey dey dated 16, January, 2023, di union say although dem don dey negotiations wit di management of NAHCO, e never get head.

"As dem no gree reason all ultimatum issued by our unions and di management continue to play on our intelligence through scheduling purposeless meetings, we don come to di conclusion say dem don decide say dem no go listen to our cries for fairness and equity, despite overwhelming evidence in support of demand.

In di above regard, all staff of NAHCO dey hereby directed to withdraw all service with efect from Monday, 23, 2023." Di statement tok.

Wetin go happun next?

As di strike dey happun, NAHCO staff wey dey represented by di unions, NUATE, do meeting wit di airport authorities on Monday ontop di mata.

Di meeting involve all di stake holders

One staff of NAHCO tell BBC Pidgin say dem don call dem to go back to work for now.

Inside one internal memo wey BBC Pidgin take eye see wey dey addressed to NAHCO staff, management say afta dia meeting wit regulatory agencies and NUATE and di Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), , dem don withdraw di suit against dem for court and resume negotiation.

Some of di resolutions dem meet for di meeting on Monday as a result of di strike wey paralyse activities for di airport include say a counter offer to di union demands go dey issued by management before close of business on Monday 23, January 2023.

"We dey confident say we go dey able to arrive at an agreement wey go provide competitive wage and benefit package for you all." Di statement read in part.

Wetin be NAHCO work for airport?

Na NAHCO dey handle check-in, boarding and ramp services for many international airlines.

Di airlines dem dey work for na Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Air France/KLM, Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Air as well as several Nigerian airlines including Air Peace.

Dis dia strike action dey come as President Muhammadu dey visit Nigeria commercial.