Aviation workers have resolved to embark on a one-day strike to protest against the federal government’s decision to deduct 50% of internally generated revenues (IGR) of agencies in the aviation sector.
Via a circular titled ‘Save Aviation From Collapse – Notice Of Nationwide Protest’, and published Wednesday, the workers said the strike would happen on August 21.
According to the circular, airports and aircrafts would not operate on the day of the strike.
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The notice was signed by leaders of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, the National Association of Aircraft Pilots Engineers, the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees, and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.
It read in part, “All workers of the NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, NiMet, NCAT and NSIB, joined by solidarity of all aviation workers, are hereby directed to embark on peaceful protests at all airports nationwide on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 to demand the discontinuation of deduction of 50% from the internally generated revenue of the agencies mentioned above through exemption.”
Notice seen by FIJ
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The workers said they had tried to communicate with the government that agencies were not making profits but recovering costs, making it harder for them to survive, yet the government was insisting on taxing them.
These taxes, they said, had caused “some important safety critical activities of the agencies” to grind “to a halt under the yoke of the deductions”.
They also said continuing the tax policy would guarantee that the aviation industry becomes dysfunctional.
President Bola Tinubu earlier announced a policy allowing the federal government deduct 50% from the revenues of agencies in the Ministry of Aviation and other ministries.
This policy decision meant MDAs which were fully funded by the government would remit 100% of their revenues to the federation account, while those which were partially funded would remit 50%.
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