Air traffic controllers end strike

By The Citizen

The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers, under the aegis of Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Monday suspended the strike, which began yesterday.

Disclosing this development to newsmen, National Secretary of the association, Mr. Banji Olawode, said that the strike was suspended as a result of the agreement reached with the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on welfare of its members.

Olawode, who said the agreement was reached at a meeting which began on Sunday and lasted till the early hours of yesterday, said: 'An agreement has been reached and signed by the two parties after hours of deliberations. Therefore, the planned industrial action has been suspended.'

Meanwhile, the Acting General Manager, Public Affairs, NAMA, Mrs. Olajumoke Adetona, said that the decision to shelve the planned strike followed a series of negotiations between NATCA/ATSSSAN and the management of NAMA with a communique signed at the end of the negotiations.

According to her: 'As part of the communique, management of NAMA agreed to address most of the issues which bordered on review of ATC rating allowances and general welfare.'

It will be recalled that members of NATCA had on Friday issued a noticed to the management of NAMA that the association would be going on strike yesterday due to the insensitivity of NAMA's management to its members' welfare and agitation for a better welfare package as well as recruitment of more technical manpower. NAN