A member of the board of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Sa’idu Dumbulwa, has appealed to the labour unions not to disrupt the airlift of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia as a result of the ongoing strike.
Mr Dumbulwa, who represents the Federal Ministry of Health on the board, stated this in a statement on Monday.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) commenced an indefinite strike on Monday to protest the refusal of the federal government to grant their demand for a minimum wage of N494,000. The government is proposing N60,000.
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The unions in the aviation sector, on Sunday, directed their members to withdraw their services.
Only about 34,000 Nigerian pilgrims have been airlifted so far to Saudi Arabia for the 2024 hajj out of the over 60,000 expected to make the trip.
Mr Dumbulwa appealed to the NLC to exempt airport workers from the strike to ensure the smooth airlifting of pilgrims.
He acknowledged labour’s legitimate demands but emphasised the importance of considering the interests of Muslim members of the unions.
“Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime ambition for many Muslims. I implore labour to avoid disrupting the airlift of pilgrims.
“In this context, I expect that exemptions should be made for airport workers in any strike actions at this critical time,” he said.
