The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has announced the resolution of the issues that led to the strike by workers of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency.
Speaking after a key stakeholder meeting in Abuja on Thursday, Keyamo stated that the government and NiMET unions had reached an agreement on several issues, including salary disparities and the implementation of minimum wage increases.
“We have resolved all issues. There was no major disagreement. The few issues that existed were mainly related to implementation and some miscommunication between us and the unions. I must say that since we came into this ministry, we have enjoyed very, very cordial relations with all the aviation unions, and they can testify that we’re on the same page with most of their demands,” he said.
Keyamo emphasized that the government recognized the unions’ concerns, especially regarding salary discrepancies between NiMET and other aviation agencies.
He acknowledged the frustration of NiMET workers, pointing out that their salaries were not on par with those of similar agencies.
“I agreed that the salaries of NiMET, in particular, were atrocious. They weren’t at par with other aviation agencies, and it was only natural that their patience would run thin,” Keyamo noted.
A key concern raised by NiMET workers was the issue of salary relativity with other agencies. Keyamo confirmed that this matter had been addressed, adding that he would write to President Bola Tinubu for formal approval of the salary adjustments.
These adjustments had been approved in principle by the previous administration but had not been implemented.
“I will write a letter to Mr. President, and we hope to receive his formal approval by next Monday or Tuesday. This will allow us to begin implementing the salary changes immediately,” Keyamo said.
In addition to salary adjustments, the government also took steps to address issues related to the implementation of the minimum wage for NiMET workers.
Keyamo noted that the issue had been cleared with the Federation’s Budget Office and confirmed that the funds for implementation were already available within the current budget.
“We have agreed to implement the minimum wage immediately. It’s a statutory matter, and there’s no reason to delay its payment. NiMET workers will see this reflected in their next salary alerts,” Keyamo assured.
He further stated that if any shortfalls arose due to these changes, the ministry would request a supplementary budget by the end of the current cycle.
Keyamo also emphasized the importance of transparency throughout the process, explaining that the unions would be actively involved in monitoring the implementation of both the salary and minimum wage adjustments to ensure fairness and transparency.
“We insisted that union members should be part of the monitoring process at the Budget Office to ensure that everything is done transparently and honestly,” Keyamo said.
