Air Traffic Controllers embark on 3-hour flow control in protest over death of colleague
…as NATCA makes demands for improved condition of service, staffing
…issues two-week ultimatum
The National Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) has issued an SOS to airlines and intending travellers that it would embark on three-hour flow control for two days, beginning from today – 23rd to 24th November 2021, from 0600UTC to 0900UTC.
The association said the decision arose from an emergency meeting conveyed over the tragic, painful, and avoidable exit of one of its members, Mr. Aniekan Effiong Inuk, who slumped and died at his duty post in the early hours of Monday, November 22, 2021, in Abuja.
Expressing its grievances, NATCA said it has lost 9 of its members within the last two years, due to stress-related health complications associated with poor working conditions and inadequate staffing.
In a statement signed by the President, NATCA, Engineer Abayomi Agoro, the association said it has made several appeals to the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to improve the poor working condition of ATCs but little or nothing has been done.
It said, “The death of Mr. Aniekan Effiong Inuk on active duty at Abuja airport whose sad event is not unconnected with the unavailability of the operational vehicle to move him to a hospital in record time, amongst others, is one too many.
“Hence, Air Traffic Controllers are embarking on a three (3) hours flow control for two days, 23rd and 24th November 2021 from 0600UTC to 0900UTC to register our displeasure and call the attention of relevant authorities and the public to quickly address our concerns without further delay.”
The association demanded that, as a matter of urgency, the NAMA management and other relevant authorities should immediately provide Air Traffic Controllers with fully dedicated operational vehicles at the four major airports in Nigeria – Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Kano – and to any other airport where on-duty ATC operational vehicles are needed.
Other demands include:
“2. That ATC Operational rooms are provided with adequate and quality ATC operational chairs and headsets.
“3. That at least 500 ATCOs be recruited to address the critical dearth in ATC manpower within the next two years starting with 70 recruits within the next three (3) months.
“4. Approve and implement a 500% upward review of the annual ATC medical allowance to enable ATCOs to carry out comprehensive medical assessment among others.
“5. That ALL Air Traffic controllers be enrolled in enhanced comprehensive health and life insurance schemes that will meet their health needs.
“6. That standard medical emergency kits be provided at all ATC units and yearly Health Safety Environment (HSE) training programs for ATCOs be conducted.
“7. That all ATC communication facilities and equipment, most especially, the VHF radios and SATCOM links be holistically rectified in other to address the perennial communication problems encountered in Nigerian airspace.
“8. That the staff deployed to ATC from other departments who have been stagnated on the same grade level for over seven (7) years be placed on their appropriate grade levels having fulfilled all requirements to be Air Traffic Controllers.
“9. That all appropriate managements should immediately approve and implement an upward review of the remunerations of contract ATCOs to make for them to earn Aerodrome and Approach rating allowances.
“10. That the appropriate management should immediately liaise with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and other relevant government bodies to correct the anomalies observed in the recently approved ATC Scheme of Service to allow for implementation in a bid to eliminate the stagnation of Air Traffic Controllers.
“11. That the appropriate management should immediately liaise with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and relevant government bodies to ensure ATCOs retire with their full monthly salary as a pension.
“Consequent on the above submissions, the association gives an ultimatum of two (2) weeks commencing from the date of this press release for the above demands to be addressed otherwise we cannot guarantee industrial harmony.
“We want to advise all our members to remain calm as no stone would be left unturned until our demands are fully addressed.”
