Aviation unions working at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have shut down the weather centres at the Nigerian airports and withdrawn all meteorological services nationwide as the workers commenced indefinite strike action over their welfare.
The strike officially began at 7:00am on Wednesday with NiMet staff and union members walking around the airport premises holding placards and announcing the withdrawal of their services.
Speaking to reporters at the airport, one of the members of the unions, Mr John said: “The situation is bad for us here in NiMet. In terms of our welfare, the salary package and everything are very low compared to our sister agency. You can see a management staff member in NiMet collecting N470,000, while someone in the sister agency earns about N1.2 million.
“Any increment the federal government is making, we are not getting it. We provide more sensitive services than even our sister agency, but our welfare package is so poor that it cannot cover transportation, rent, or even our children’s school fees.
“We provide services like agro-meteorology, marine, and transportation for all industries. We offer services to them, yet our welfare is too poor. So we are calling on the government to look into our case.”
On the level of airline disruption, the secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, Paul Ogohi, condemned the conduct of some domestic airlines, while also highlighting the toll the current system was taking on NiMet staff.
He said, “Other international airlines have parked and are keeping strictly to the regulations of ICAO. British Airways has complied, and Qatar Airways has also suspended operations. But the problem we are facing is with Nigerian airlines and their pilots. These rules are meant to govern aviation operations, but we, the locals, are the ones violating these standards. It’s not right.
“We should discourage it and condemn it entirely. It’s unacceptable. This kind of thing only happens in Nigeria. You can see that unprecedented deaths are occurring in NiMet, as if we are chickens. Nearly 70 per cent of our staff forecasters have high blood pressure.
“We are appealing to the Minister to please come to our aid. We are seeing changes, but those changes should extend to NiMet because we are suffering.”
Meanwhile, a senior NiMet management source while speaking on condition of anonymity said: “management is disappointed with the hardline stance taken by the unions when some of the issues in dispute have been resolved, and others are in various stages of resolution.
“It is surprising that the unions resorted to strike action because the unions themselves recently wrote and thanked management for its labour-friendly policies. It makes you wonder if there are other motives or there are people bent on sabotaging management.
“Management is not relenting in reaching an amicable resolution with the unions so that normal services will be restored. The minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, who has been supportive, has scheduled a meeting with all the parties on Thursday, April 24, 2025. We are hopeful that the unions will listen to reason. No one bites off his nose to spite his face.”
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