NiMET staff suspend planned strike after Reps intervention

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) workers have suspended their planned strike following the intervention of the House of Representatives.

This is contained in a communique singed by the Chairman, House Committee on Aviation and Technology, Rep. Abiodun Ishaq (APC-Ogun) on Monday in Abuja.

“Following a nine-hour legislative intervention which ended at about 10p.m on Sunday night, all the concerns of the unions in the agency will be addressed within four weeks.

“Following the resolutions at the tripartite meeting of the lawmakers, union leaders and management of NiMET, it has been agreed that the 45 months outstanding minimum wage arrears of workers in the agency would be paid.

“After more than eight hours of meeting, deliberations and discussions, the following resolutions were reached.

“That NiMET will on Monday May 20, set up a committee on the review of conditions of service of staff.

This committee will draw two members from the labour union,” Ishaq said.

He added: “The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation technology will set up a sub-committee to liase with the Ministry of Finance, Budget Office and other relevant agencies to ensure the prompt payment of areas of NiMeT staff.

“That the NiMeT staff salary scale be reviewed by the National Income Salaries and Wages Commission and resolve all outstanding payments.

“That NiMeT staff should suspend planned strike action for now pending the implementation of the resolutions and work in harmony with the management.”

Similarly, Mr Sikiru Waheed, the Secretary General, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) who spoke on behalf of other unions, commended the committee for intervening into their plights.

Waheed said that of all agencies in the aviation industry NiMET was the poorest paid while performing enormous functions.

“NiMET workers have not even enjoyed the recent thirty five per cent increase paid to others,” he said.

In the same vein, the Director-General, NiMeT, Prof. Charles Anosike appreciated the committee for preventing the planned strike.

He said that the management was doing its best to ensure the payment of the outstanding areas of the NiMET staff, adding that the importance of the workforce could not be over emphasised.