The federal government has paid the outstanding 45-month minimum wage arrears owed to Nigerian Meteorological Agency workers.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Secretary of NiMet Union Joint Action Committee, Okechukwu Nwokoro, according to The Punch.
The unpaid arrears, which stretch back to 2019, had caused tension between NiMet management and its employees, resulting in regular disputes with labour union.
Earlier this year, the situation was on the verge of escalating into industrial action, with unions planning to downtool on May 20, 2024.
However, the strike was averted at the last minute following an intervention by the House Committee on Aviation Technology and their Senate counterpart.
An agreement was struck on May 19, 2024, during a special session called by the House Committee on Aviation Technology, chaired by Abiodun Akinlade, with NiMet management and union officials in attendance.
The Director-General of NiMet, Prof Charles Anosike, thanked President Bola Tinubu for authorising the payment of the arrears.
“Mr President has demonstrated once again that he is a worker-friendly President. The issue of the unpaid 45-month wage arrears predates this administration, but still, Mr President has cleared the outstanding.
“I wish to thank the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, for the role he played. Also the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation Technology, Abiodun Akinlade, and members of the Committee for their sacrifices and timely intervention.
“I wish to also thank the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, and the members of the committee. I thank all the others who played different roles in the process.
“We expect that staff and the unions will show Mr President appreciation by working hard and staying focused to ensure that NiMet continues to achieve its mandate,” Anosike said.
The staff of NiMet, represented by the NiMet Unions Joint Action Committee, also expressed their appreciation to Tinubu, Keyamo, and other government officials for the payment.
The unions expressed gratitude for the collective action taken to ensure the payment of the outstanding minimum wage arrears owed to NiMet employees from 2019 to 2022.
It said, “This significant action has greatly alleviated the financial challenges faced by our workforce and has renewed our hope and commitment to serving the nation with excellence.”
