NiMet workers begin indefinite strike over unmet demands
Workers of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency are set to begin an indefinite strike starting on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, following months of unmet demands and what union leaders describe as repeated breaches of a collective bargaining agreement by the agency’s management.
In a letter obtained by The PUNCH on Monday, the 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, accused NiMet management of failing to honour agreements aimed at resolving prolonged remuneration issues.
“As you are all aware, our unions have strived strenuously over the past few years to alleviate the exceedingly unjust remunerations conundrum that has visited extreme poverty and consequent untold hardship on NiMet workers. These efforts have been largely without substantial results,” the letter read.
The unions expressed frustration over management’s failure to implement a partial agreement reached on January 28, 2025. “You are equally aware that the agreement between the management and our unions since 28th January 2025 towards partial amelioration of the above-stated condition has been honoured largely only in the breach”.
Citing the expiration of a previously issued ultimatum and the continued disparity in pay compared to industry peers, the unions emphasised that they have no choice but to resume the strike.
“In the light of management’s inability to address our given grave concerns, and being that we can no longer continue to cope with present hardships (given the huge disparity in remunerations with our peers), and especially as the ultimatum given to the Management has expired, we have no choice than to resume the suspended strike.”
All NiMet staff across the country have been directed “to withdraw all services from the Agency indefinitely with effect from midnight of Tuesday 22nd April 2025 without exception until otherwise directed.”
In addition, all union branches and state councils have been instructed, “to mobilise all aviation workers to offer solidarity support to NiMet workers at all their stations and to ensure full effect of this directive.”
Recall that The PUNCH reported that three major aviation unions had warned the Nigerian Meteorological Agency of an imminent resumption of a suspended strike, accusing the agency of failing to honor a collective bargaining agreement signed on January 28, 2025.
The unions in a letter expressed frustration over NiMet’s refusal to negotiate or implement agreed financial allowances and raised concerns about several unresolved entitlements, including wage awards, peculiar allowances, and outstanding payments from the 2019 minimum wage.
They also alleged the management withheld important documents, ignored requests for inclusion of omitted staff in past payments, and neglected key training programs in favour of executive retreats.
Describing the situation as “troubling and worrisome,” the unions said NiMet had squandered their goodwill and issued an ultimatum, giving the agency until April 16, 2025, to fulfill the agreement or face an indefinite strike without further notice.
However, when contacted by our correspondent, NiMet spokesperson, Muntari Yusuf, expressed surprise at the planned strike, stating that he had not received any official communication on the matter.
“Believe me sincerely, I’m not aware of any strike starting tomorrow. I have a director and a DG, and so sometimes when there is a piece of information, it doesn’t have to come through me; it goes to my director. So nobody gave me this information, I don’t have this information,” he said.
Meanwhile, NiMet has yet to issue an official response at the time of filing this report.
