THE Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has appealed to aviation unions to shelve their proposed nationwide strike against the Federal government’s 50 per cent deduction from the internal revenues of agencies in the sector.

Keyamo’s statement was contained in a statement he shared on his X handle on Friday, August 16.

He said, “We appeal to all workers to remain calm and maintain industrial peace while the government is working assiduously towards amicably resolving the matter.”

Workers in the aviation sector have threatened to embark on a one-day strike to protest against the federal government’s decision on the deduction of 50 per cent of internal revenues from agencies in the sector.

The proposed strike action was slated for August 21, according to a memo reportedly signed by the leadership of five aviation unions.

The unions are the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE).

According to the unions, the warning strike will serve as a protest to demand that the government put a stop to the 50 per cent deduction from the revenues generated by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

The other agencies from which the federal government deducts 50 per cent of their internal revenues are the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

Addressing the concern in his statement on Friday, Keyamo said the call to action by the workers’ unions to protest the federal government’s action had been noted.

“The concerns of the workers, especially regarding the negative impact these deductions have on investment, maintenance of critical infrastructure, and overall operations of the agencies, have been duly noted.

“We understand the significance of the issues raised and recognise the vital role that our aviation workforce plays in ensuring the safety, efficiency, and smooth operation of the industry,” he said.

Keyamo said President Bola Tinubu was concerned about the matter, adding that the Aviation Ministry would address the challenges in a manner that ensures the continued viability and sustainability of the sector.

“The Honourable Minister wishes to assure the workers’ unions and other stakeholders that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very concerned about the improvement of the aviation sector and will give their demands due consideration to find a lasting solution that balances both the fiscal needs of the government and the operational requirements of the aviation agencies,” he added.

The ICIR reports that NAMA has earlier in May called for a reversal of the 50 per cent deduction in its revenue.

The agency said it was facing significant financial constraints due to the deduction.

Its Managing Director, Farouk Umar, had said the 50 per cent revenue deduction was hindering the agency’s ability to maintain and upgrade critical infrastructure.

In an exclusive interview with The ICIR, a former secretary-general of NUATE and retired NAMA staff member, Olayinka Abioye, criticised the deduction from 40 per cent to 50 per cent and argued that it was not in any way justifiable.

His argument was that aviation is a service provider which should be “run effectively, efficiently, and expeditiously.”