
By Cross Udo,
Yesterday, three labour unions under the Aviation sector announced suspension of the proposed strike billed to commence today.
Suspension of the strike, which would have affected the movement of flights in the aviation sector, was reached after the meeting between the management of the Nigerian Metrological Agency, NiMet, and the aggrieved unions.
The affected unions are the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP).
Briefing journalists on the suspension of the proposed strike, Comrade Benjamin Anthony, Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and President of AUPCTRE, and Comrade Ochenne Abu, General Secretary of NUATE, called on President Bola Tinubu and the Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo to intervene in their demands to avert a crisis at NiMet that could lead to the withdrawal of services with its attendant implications.
“It is important to stress that a severe crisis at NiMet, such as its services being shut down, has profound society-wide implications – particularly for safe operations in aviation and maritime and food security.
“The NiMet is a weather information management agency whose services reach far-flanged corners of the earth from its Nigerian base. There is practically no economic sector that falls short of the vital meteorological information that the Agency rolls out daily without a break.
“For the aviation industry, for example, NiMet’s services are safety critical. It is practically impossible to operate the aviation sector without weather information. It is no different for the maritime sector. And the agro-economy increasingly relies on weather forecasts,” the unions said.
The areas in which the unions want President Tinubu’s urgent intervention include the immediate implementation and payment of all outstanding federal government approvals to NiMet workers, including balance payments of the 2019 minimum wage and consequential adjustments to the remaining 30 workers. “Actions are required by some personnel in the Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office, and IPPIS in this regard,” they said
Also, “Implementation of the 25-35 percent Federal Government wage award for NiMet staff. The NSIWC requires action.
“Implementing the 40 percent Peculiar Allowance for harmonizing public service salary scales. NSIWC requires action.
“Approval and release of NiMet Scheme of Service by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation. Urgent conclusion and expedited approval of NiMet reviewed Conditions of Service.”
According to the unions, “As a longer-term measure, the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission must now erect a more robust and comparable CONMETSS as a Federal government-approved salary scale to which all future Federal government salary enhancements must be automatically applied by IPPIS.
“An even longer lasting solution is to bring about aviation sector salary relativity between NiMet and other aviation government Agencies, like the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and others.
“It is pathetic that while the salaries of the agencies that depend on the services of NiMet continue to advance steadily, those of NiMet continue to slide backward. This is appalling and unacceptable and must be corrected without further delay. This is our most important demand.
“Without prejudice to all the above, our well-considered view is that the ultimate solution to the perennial NiMet remuneration crisis is enabling the Agency towards self-sufficiency and self-funding.
“Our unions are of the firm opinion that if the above humble demands are met, the perennial problem of the cries for justice by NiMet staff will become a thing of the past, along with the persistent industrial crisis at NiMet.
“It is important to stress that a serious crisis at NiMet, such as its services being shut down, has serious society-wide implications – particularly for safe operations in aviation and maritime and food security.”