NIMET rejects strike threat, says workers’ demands ‘legacy issues’

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has described the action of workers threatening to go on strike at the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum as an attempt to embarrass the agency.

The agency in a response to the warning of the workers in a statement signed by the, Director of Human Resource Management and Administration, Nasiru Sani, on Wednesday, said all issues raised by the workers predates the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Prof. Charles Anosike, in office.

“In view of the foregoing, it may be necessary to state for the records that the issues numbering ten (10) raised in your letter are legacy issues pre-dating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government and current NiMet management.

“Furthermore the unions would confirm that management has been engaging with them on the issues raised and the unions’ leaderships have been part of the various meetings internally and with different government stakeholders towards resolving the stated legacy issues,” Sani stated.

Recall that on Tuesday, the Coalition of Aviation Unions, under the umbrella of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Amalgamated Union Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, and Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, among others, issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government through the Director-General to address several violations of staff welfare agreements.

In a statement jointly signed by the general secretaries of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Ocheme Aba; the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, Abdulrasaq Saidu; and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, Sikiru Waheed, the unions listed ten grounds for it action insisting that, should they be ignored on the raised matters, at the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum, workers at Nimet would withdraw their services to the country.

Nimet is a Federal Government agency charged with the responsibility of advising the federal government on all aspects of meteorology; project, prepare, and interpret government policy in the field of meteorology; and issue weather forecasts for the safe operations of aircraft, among other things.

Topping the workers 10 request are; Inadequacies in their salary structure compared with their counterparts in other agencies under the ministry of aviation and Aerospace Development.

The workers also demands government action on the following: Non-implementation of the new minimum; Non-payment of nine months’ arrears of consequential adjustment of the 2019 Minimum Wage Act; Refusal to comply with ministerial directive for the review of Conditions of Service among others

Also on salary disparity, NiMet noted that it had written the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission over the development.

“Management had taken a proactive step toward the realisation of this award by writing to the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission. Approval has been given and implementation awaiting the approval of budgetary allocation. This Allowance is at present not applicable to the Agency as it is not an item in its Conditions of Service. However, it is an item that is being deliberated upon in the on-going review of the Conditions of Service.

“Management in this regard had approached the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission. However it was advised that the Agency should maintain its current salary structure as it progresses toward self-funding. This is to ensure minimal interference in financial management once autonomy is achieved.

“It is most unfair and a clear blackmail to allege that Management refused to meet with the Unions. The successes recorded in 2024 especially with the payment of the legacy 45 months arrears owed staff since 2019 was achieved with the collaborative efforts/meetings between NiMet management and the Unions.

“Also further meetings have been held by both parties on the listed issues with management updating the Union of the Status. Furthermore, Management has also incorporated the executives of the Agency-based Unions in its management meetings to allow for free and timely flow of information.”