The Domestic Airports Cargo Agents Association (DACAA) has estimated that Nigeria lost about N7 billion in cargo transport during the organised labour’s two-day nationwide strike.
The strike was embarked on by Nigerian workers under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NUC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Monday and Tuesday.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of DACAA, Mr Ikpe Nkanang, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
Nkanang said that about 30 tonnes of cargo were lifted across the country’s domestic airports daily.
According to him, the volume of cargo dumped during the two-day strike could only be imagined.
He told NAN that a lot of cargo had been gathered and made ready for freight on Monday morning before the commencement of the strike.
“For those two days, the airlines were not working, and once the airlines are not working, cargo cannot move, and it is a great loss to all of us.
“You needed to see the volume of cargo that was dumped over those two days; of course, you know we gathered cargoes during the weekend hoping that by Monday and Tuesday, we would be able to send them out.
“It was a colossal loss to us in the cargo world, it affected our income and, of course, the economy of the country.
“For those few hours of the strike, the country lost about N7 billion across all local airports,” he said.
According to him, transporting a kilogram of cargo costs N300.
Nkanang urged the Federal Government to reach an agreement with the organised labour in time to avert the resumption of the strike.
NAN reports that labour unions suspended the strike on Tuesday afternoon to enable continued negotiations on a new minimum wage.
Airport operations were grounded during the strike as aviation unions blocked all access points to domestic terminals. (NAN).
