Four major aviation unions have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the management of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, warning that failure to conclude the long-delayed review of staff Conditions of Service will result in a total shutdown of activities at the institution.
The unions are the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers. They disclosed this in a joint statement released to journalists on Saturday.
The unions said their action was borne out of “grave concern and indignation” over what they described as the management’s continued indecision and lack of commitment to staff welfare and industrial harmony. They noted that despite repeated meetings, engagements, and assurances by management, the review of the Conditions of Service had remained unresolved.
According to the statement, the unions had exercised restraint and cooperation over time in the interest of institutional stability and in recognition of NCAT’s strategic role in Nigeria’s aviation sector. However, they lamented that management had not reciprocated this goodwill.
“We have noted with grave concern and indignation management’s continued act of indecision and unseriousness regarding matters bordering on staff well-being and the promotion of industrial harmony within the college,” the statement read.
The unions described NCAT as the only aviation agency yet to conclude a review of its Conditions of Service, calling the situation unacceptable, especially when other agencies in the sector have made progress. They cited the recent approval of revised Conditions of Service at the Nigeria Meteorological Agency as an example.
Accusing NCAT management of paying “lip service” to staff welfare, the unions warned that failure to conclude the review within 14 days would leave workers with no option but to withdraw their services.
Reacting, the spokesperson for NCAT, Jude Amadi, said he was not aware of the ultimatum but promised to engage union leaders and respond accordingly.
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