Conveyor belt operators’ strike grounds flights at Lagos airport

Flights at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos were for several hours disrupted yesterday following a strike action by operators of the belt conveyor to protest against alleged unpaid salaries.

The workers, in the employ of OTIS Nigeria Limited, a private company engaged to maintain and operate the carousel, alleged that they had not been paid in the last eight months, because the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) owed the contractor.

But FAAN, which manages all 26 airports nationwide, denied owing the contractor, explaining that the industrial action was due to a “small misunderstanding”. The operators are critical to the quick movement of check-in luggage between the airport and aircraft, hence, what started as an indefinite strike immediately left boarding airlines and passengers stranded.

The Guardian learnt that agents of some airlines with assistance from ground handling companies later switched to the manual movement of luggage, but the need to have the bags identified by passengers turned chaotic at the airport.
Guardian, August 29, 2017

 

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