By Sade Williams
Staff of Nigeria Meteorological Agency) NiMet) have cave called on the Federal government to implement salary ralativity in the aviation sector in order to for thee workers to enjoy the same privilege as staff of other agencies.
In a statement jointly signed by Sikiru Waheed for Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees ( AUPCTRE); Saidu Rasaq for Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and Ocheme Aba for National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the workers lamented the ‘maltreatment by the Federal Government’s salary management agents, particularly the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission ( NSIWC).
They noted that the agency’s salary scheme known as CONMETSS does not enjoy the compliments that the NSIWC accords other Federal Government salary schemes. As such, all Federal Government salary enhancements over the years have not been applied to NiMet.
“So, unlike the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria which is also salaried under IPPIS, and which has enjoyed all minimum wage increases over the years, NiMet has enjoyed none. Only miserable crumbs have been given to NiMet after successive strenuous efforts by the workers and their unions.. We are completely at a loss as to why one government agency will enjoy a privilege and another is denied same without a reason. This is why all wage awards approved by the current federal administration have been denied to NiMet. Even when recently the Federal Government approved a 40% salary abridgement grant to harmonise disadvantaged public service organisations, NiMet was again agonizingly denied.”, the workers said.
While accusing past managements of NiMet of exhibiting ‘nonchalant, weak hearted and unfocused attitudes towards this important matter, they said in order to ameliorate the resulting conundrum, there must be immediate implementation and payment of all outstanding federal government approvals to NiMet workers, including:-balance payments of the 2019 Minimum wage 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.Implementation of the 25-35% Federal Government wage award for NiMet staff, Implementation of the 40% Peculiar Allowance for harmonization of public service salary scales; 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, among others.
“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 which depend on the services of NiMet continue to steadily advance, that of NiMet continues to slide backwards. This is appalling and definitely unacceptable and must be corrected without further delay. This is our most important demand.
“Without prejudice to all the above, it is our well-considered view that the ultimate solution to the perennial NiMet remuneration crisis is the enabling of the Agency towards self-sufficiency and self-funding. This will grant the Agency freedom from the yoke of IPPIS and allow the Agency free hand to remunerate its own staff on the basis of its financial capacity. For this to happen, the Agency has to have the enablement to receive fees for its services directly from those who utilize those services in all sectors of the economy. And for this to happen, the enabling Act of NiMet has to undergo significant amendment. We are therefore, happy to note that the Management of NiMet has already initiated this process to the extent that the Amendment has already been listed at the National Assembly.Our Unions are of the strong 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, and along with it the persistent industrial crisis at NiMet.It is important to stress the fact that a serious crisis at NiMet, such as its services being shut down, has serious societywide implications – particularly for safe operations in aviation and maritime and for food security.
“This is why we use this medium to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the Aviation Minister, Barr. Festus Keyamo for urgent interventions to clean up the mess at NiMet and bring about aviation sector salary relativity. The renewed and reinvigorated commitment of the new Management of NiMet gives us hope that the end of this saga can be achieved. Our Unions are equally committed to working with Management towards resolving these issues in the best possible way to achieve the objectives set out here. It is in the light of the foregoing that our unions have decided to review the notice of withdrawal of services of the staff of NiMet. As such, the strike that was billed to commence tomorrow, 4th of February, 2025 has been suspended until further notice. “,
