Aviation unions issue NiMet 14-day strike notice

The National Union of Air Transport Employees, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees have threatened to ground operations at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency over non-implementation of approved minimum wage in two weeks’ time.

This was contained in a letter sent to The PUNCH in Abuja on Thursday dated January 26, 2023, which was jointly signed by the Secretary-General, NUATE, Ocheme Aba; Secretary-General, AUPCTRE, Siriku Waheed and the Secretary-General, ANAP, Abdul Saidu, addressed to the Director-General of NiMET.

The unions, however, described the failure of NiMET to implement the minimum wage consequential adjustment despite its implementation in other five aviation agencies since February 2022 as “wickedness”.

The unions noted that the issue of the non-implementation of the approved minimum wage consequential adjustment for NiMET has reached its crescendo, adding that only NiMet staff had been denied its implementation.

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The unions insisted that the benefit was denied them since the minimum wage Act came into existence in April 2019, insisting that the management had been lukewarm with the welfare of its workers over the years.

The read in part, “As such, it is too much to expect the hapless staff of NiMET to continue to bear the brunt of this act of wickedness. And no excuse can be tenable at this point; nothing can justify this kind of mistreatment.

“As trade unions, it will be irresponsible on our part to sit idly while our members in NiMET wallow in their misery, occasioned by the continued denial of their right to enjoy the benefit of a valid law – the Minimum Wage Act.

“Given the foregoing, we wish to notify the management of NiMET that our unions, as above named, will be unable to guarantee continued industry harmony at NiMET if after 14 days hence the minimum wage consequential adjustment for NiMET is not implemented.”

The Ministers of Aviation, Labour and Employment, the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and chairmen and secretaries of their unions in NiMET were copied in the letter.