Workers of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have suspended their strike action until May 13th to allow the federal government to address their demands, following a meeting with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development
Workers of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have called off their ongoing strike action, effective Thursday, April 25th, and have agreed to a suspension until May 13th.
This decision comes after a crucial meeting convened by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, with leaders of the aggrieved unions.
Mr. Tunde Moshood, the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, confirmed the suspension in a statement released on Thursday evening.
He stated that the strike was suspended at the conclusion of the meeting, which included representatives from the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP).
According to Moshood, the workers agreed to temporarily halt their industrial action until May 13th to provide an opportunity for the federal government to intervene and resolve the issues they have raised.
Comrade Aba Ocheme, the National Secretary of NUATE, confirmed the decision to suspend the strike after the meeting. Moshood quoted Ocheme as saying that the suspension was a direct result of the Minister’s prompt and sincere engagement.
The strike was suspended in recognition of the Minister’s timely and sincere intervention,” – Comrade Aba Ocheme, National Secretary of NUATE.
Mr. Alale Adedayo, the National President of ANAP, also noted that the unions decided to temporarily call off the strike to allow the ongoing resolution process to continue.
Moshood recalled that during the meeting, Minister Keyamo pledged his personal commitment to finding lasting solutions to the workers’ grievances.
Keyamo assured the union leaders that he would personally intervene by formally communicating with both President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Finance to expedite the resolution of their pressing financial concerns.
The Minister reiterated the critical importance of maintaining industrial harmony within the aviation sector and commended the union leaders for their maturity, patriotism, and willingness to engage in dialogue in the national interest.
The unions had initiated the strike action due to a number of unresolved grievances, including issues related to poor working conditions and the non-implementation of salary relativity with other aviation agencies, as well as the non-implementation of the 2019 consequential adjustment to the national minimum wage.
