Labour unions in the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have suspended the planned industrial action scheduled to start on Monday, May, 20, 2024.
This followed the resolution reached on Sunday at a special session convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation and Technology which ended late in the night.
The chairman, House Committee on Aviation Technology, Hon Abiodun Akinlade Ishaq who read the communique to suspend the planned strike at the end of about nine hours interactive session with the NiMET management and its labour unions said, within a period of four weeks the issues raised will be resolved and their outstanding arrears paid.
“Today, the House Committee on Aviation Technology met with labour unions and management team of Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Abuja led by its director-general, Professor Charles Anosike, to discuss the proposed industrial strike by the NiMET staff on the failure of government to pay forty five months arrears of minimum wage consequential adjustment.
“After more than eight hours’ meeting, deliberation, discussion, the following resolutions were reached: That NiMET will by tomorrow, Monday 20th set up a committee on the review of conditions of service of NiMET staff. This committee will draw two members from the labour union.”
In his comment, Anosike who appreciated the committee chairman and the members for preventing the planned strike, said the management is doing its best to ensure the payment of the outstanding arrears of the NiMET staff saying the importance of the workforce cannot be over emphasized.
“Immediately we came in January there was a threat of strike and importantly, I was a director in NiMET for two years before being appointed as DG. In the course of that two year, I never attended any meeting.
I don’t know anything about this issue of 45 months.
“I am not saying it’s Union’s fault. But it’s something that has been lingering for four years. During my time as a director, I never sat in any meeting about this issue. When we resumed office, because entire management is new, within one month, there was a threat of strike. We immediately swung into action, I was surprised the secretary said there was no meeting,” he said.
