Picketing: Firm drags aviation union to court

A firm, Newrest Aviation Services Ltd. (ASL), has dragged the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) to court for disrupting  its operations  at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The General Secretary of NUATE, Mr Olayinka Abioye, confirmed the development on Monday in Lagos.
Abioye said NUATE had received a copy of the court summons filed on behalf of the company by its counsel at the Lagos Division of the National Industrial Court (NIC).
The union had on February 12 grounded the operations of the in-flight catering service provider when it protested in front of the company’s office in Lagos.
The union then said that the management of Newrest ASL had disallowed its employees from joining the unions in the sector.
Abioye said: “I can confirm that we have received papers filed by Newrest ASL asking us to appear before the court.
“We have equally instructed our lawyers to respond because we believe that our action is backed by the instrumentality of the relevant labour laws.”
Abioye noted that the union was exploring the option of resolving the issue amicably before the suit was instituted by the company.
He said the workers of the company, who hitherto belonged to a union in the hotel and hospitality sector, had indicated their interests to join unions in the aviation sector.
According to him, the workers decision is based on the fact that their work revolves round the aviation sector.
Abioye said the union embarked on the protest because the management prevented its workers from joining the aviation unions..
He added that it was also because the series of meetings and intervention by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity did not yield any positive results.
Newrest ASL provides in-flight catering services to some foreign airlines operating in the country.
It also has lounges and restaurants at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.