1

ABUJA – The Ethiopian Airlines branch of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has cancelled its planned industrial action, fol­lowing mediation by the federal government.

The union had threatened to embark on strike over the refusal of the management of the Airline to implement the Collective Bar­gaining Agreement on the 13th-month salary, the non-promotion of workers, casual/contract staff­ing, and low remuneration.

A statement by Patience Onuo­bia, Head, Information and Public Relations, notee that at the end of a conciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Em­ployment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, the NUATE and Ethio­pian Airlines in Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to meet within two weeks to discuss all issues in dispute and revert to the Ministry.

According to the agreement, a team comprising three represen­tatives of the Union [NUATE], officials of Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Feder­al Ministry of Aviation and Aero­space Development and the Joint Aviation Trade Unions Forum shall attend the meeting.

The agreement also stipulates that the process will be supervised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aero­space Development.

The parties also agreed that there would be no work stoppage before the next meeting.

The Memorandum of Under­standing was signed by the Ethi­opian Airlines’ Area Manager, Nigeria, Firiehiwot Mekonnen; National Vice President, NUATE, Comrade Moses Unanaow; Deputy General Secretary, NUATE, Com­rade Odinaka Igbokwe; represen­tative of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Develop­ment, Abubakar M. Sadiq; and Director, Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations of the Ministry, Amos O. Falonipe.

Earlier, the Minister had em­phasised the Federal Govern­ment’s commitment to promoting decent work and industrial peace in all sectors.