Aviation workers have threatened to shut down the operations of defaulting airline operators and other organisations over the non-remittance of the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charges (TSC) owed to aviation agencies.
The workers, under the umbrella of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), issued a final seven-day ultimatum, warning that nationwide picketing would commence if the outstanding debts are not settled.
The ultimatum follows the expiration of an earlier 14-day notice issued on July 8, which lapsed on July 23 without any compliance from the affected airlines and organisations.
In a joint statement signed by ATSSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, and NUATE Deputy General Secretary, Odinaka Igbokwe, the unions accused the defaulters of deliberately refusing to remit the statutory charges, despite repeated warnings.
The workers said the continued withholding of the Ticket Sales Charges has deprived aviation agencies of critical funds required to sustain safe and efficient operations, while also affecting the welfare and conditions of service of employees.
“Our earlier 14-day ultimatum has expired, and regrettably, willful non-compliance has been recorded,” the unions said.
They added that the inability of aviation agencies to access funds due to them poses a serious threat to the country’s aviation sector.
“The aviation agencies remain starved of the required funds to keep our skies safe, while the conditions of service of our members continue to be jeopardised because of the non-remittance of the Ticket Sales Charge,” the statement read.
Describing the situation as a security and safety concern, the unions warned that the continued financial strain on aviation agencies could compromise the safety of Nigeria’s airspace.
“This unnecessary demotivation factor to the air transport worker is a security and safety risk,” they stated.
The workers therefore gave all Ticket Sales Charge defaulters seven days to clear their outstanding obligations or face industrial action at their operational bases.
“We can no longer helplessly fold our hands and allow the safety of our airspace to remain compromised. We hereby issue a seven-day notice to every TSC defaulter to remit the total debt owed to the agencies. Failure to do so will result in our unions taking concrete actions at their various premises,” the unions warned.
The five per cent Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy collected on every airline ticket sold in Nigeria. It is expected to be remitted to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority for distribution among aviation agencies to support regulatory activities, safety oversight and other operational responsibilities.
