Victor EzejaThe Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) workers have suspended their strike following the intervention of the federal government.
This was confirmed in a statement by Mr. Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe NiMET workers began the strike on Wednesday over issues bordering on welfare.
The unions had accused NiMet of refusing to negotiate or implement agreed financial allowances and unresolved entitlements, including outstanding payments from the 2019 minimum wage.
The NiMet employees also accused the agency’s management of disregarding pleas to include staff who were left out of previous payments, withholding important documents, and ignoring vital training programmes in favour of executive retreats.
However, the Aviation Minister had a closed-door meeting on Thursday, with the Permanent Secretary and heads of aviation agencies, alongside leaders of key aviation unions after which they called off the strike.
In attendance were representatives from the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), led by Comrade Ochema Abba (General Secretary) and Comrade Oluchi (Deputy President), as well as the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), represented by the President-General, Comrade Alale Adebayo and Comrade Ambore Samson, Chairman.
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The meeting was to address concerns surrounding the strike embarked on by the NiMET workers.
According to the statement by the minister’s aide, the aviation workers suspended the strike until 13 May 2025, as they await the minister’s decision regarding the issues raised during the meeting.
National secretary of NUATE, Aba Ocheme, said the unions’ decision to suspend the industrial action was in recognition of the “minister’s timely and sincere intervention.”
“We await the progress of the actions he has committed to take,” Ocheme added.
According to Moshood, Keyamo empathised with the affected workers and pledged commitment to finding lasting solutions to their concerns.
He added that the minister pledged to take action to expedite the resolution of the urgent problems, including formal correspondence with Finance Minister Wale Edun and President Bola Tinubu.
In order to address concerns about subsistence allowances and related issues, the minister also pledged to form a ministerial committee, led by Dr. Ibrahim Kana, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, to communicate with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
The minister also reaffirmed the need for maintaining industrial harmony in the aviation industry and applauded the union leaders for their maturity, sense of patriotism, and readiness to engage in conversation for the good of the country.
The strike which is barely 48 hours had led to grounding of domestic flights and some international flights as well.
Air Peace, the leading airline in Nigeria, had on Wednesday evening announced suspension of its flight operations, citing safety concerns arising from the industrial action embarked on by the NiMET workers.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
