Employees of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) have called off their strike following the federal government’s intervention.
The workers on Wednesday commenced an indefinite strike over welfare issues, including “NiMet’s refusal to negotiate or implement agreed financial allowances and unresolved entitlements”, as well as wage awards, peculiar allowances, and outstanding payments from the 2019 minimum wage.
They also accused the management of the agency of withholding important documents, ignoring requests for inclusion of omitted staff in past payments, and neglecting key training programmes in favour of executive retreats.
However, on Thursday, the workers called off the strike following a closed-door meeting between Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, and executives of NiMet.
The suspension of the strike is pending the outcome of the minister’s intervention on the issues raised.
Speaking after the meeting, Aba Ocheme, national secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), confirmed the decision:
“We have resolved to suspend the ongoing strike till May 13, 2025, in recognition of the honourable minister’s timely and sincere intervention. We await the progress of the actions he has committed to take,” Ocheme said
Alale Adedayo, the national president of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), noted that the unions called of the strike as mark of respect for the minister’s intervention.
According to a statement by Tunde Moshood, his media aide, Keyamo expressed empathy with the affected workers and pledged commitment to finding lasting solutions to their concerns.
Moshood said the minister promised to take measures to fast-track the resolution of the pressing issues, including formal communications with President Bola Tinubu and Wale Edun, the minister of finance.
The strike had led to Air Peace grounding all flight operations across the country due to the unavailability of QNH (hazardous weather) reports required for safe landings.
