Airlines passengers, airports businesses as well as those of maritime across the country were worst affected as entrance into their facilities were put under lock and key by officials of affiliate bodies belonging to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) that carried out the their intention to embark on indefinite strike to press home the demand for increase wages.
Flight operations across were grounded with business activities at major airports grounded on Monday in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other cities as no operations were allowed to take place by the striking unions.
In lagos, the quartet of ATSSSAN, ANAP, NAAPE and NUATE locked down the General Aviation Terminal one and the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal II (MMA2), resulting in passengers lamenting the ways and manners representatives of government have for handled the salary issues with the NLC.
Leaders of the bodies disclosed that attention will be shifted to the international wings of the airports on Tuesday.
Secretary of ATSSSAN, Mr. Francis Akinjole, said activities at the international wing would be grounded beginning on Tuesday.
He warned passengers to return passengers to using other means of transportation as feelers show that the strike may linger more than necessary.
“We just do not have any choice than to embark on what we are doing and it is clear. If the Federal Government signs the new minimum wage today we will leave but if they do not we are starting here today as the commencement day.
“Tomorrow, like we said in our notice to the general public, we are going to ground activities at the international wing.
“The only reason why we are not starting the international wing today is because we are aware that some flights were already airborne, so we are not as insensitive as some people might want think,” he said.
Akinjole said the union was prepared for the length of time the strike would but called on the Federal to consider the yearnings of Nigerians.
On his part, National Chairman of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) branch of the Association of Nigeria Airport Professional (ANAP), Mr. Patrick Evuarhehe, said they refused any form of skeletal activity to be carried out.
