By Emmanuel Nduka
Unions at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have suspended their strike until May 13, following intervention by Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
The decision came after a meeting between the minister and representatives of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) on Thursday.
NiMet workers had embarked on a strike on April 23, citing unmet agreements including issues of salary disparity, non-implementation of wage adjustments, and poor working conditions.
Speaking after the meeting, NUATE’s National Secretary, Comrade Aba Ocheme, said:
“We have resolved to suspend the ongoing strike till May 13 in recognition of the minister’s timely and sincere intervention.”
ANAP President, Comrade Alale Adedayo, echoed the sentiment, saying the strike was suspended out of respect for the minister’s commitment to resolving the issues.
In response, Minister Keyamo expressed understanding of the workers’ grievances and pledged to address them. He outlined immediate steps, including:
- Direct communication with the President and Finance Minister to fast-track financial resolutions.
- Creation of a ministerial committee to work with key government bodies on wage and allowance issues.
The minister also praised the unions for their cooperation and commitment to dialogue, while the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, assured stakeholders of progress before the May 13 deadline.
In the wake of their industrial action, several airlines including Air Peace had suspended operations. Despite having personal operational gadgets to forecast weather, these airlines rely heavily on the professionalism of NiMet to make correct weather predictions.
