The Federal Government has paid 45 months of outstanding minimum wages to employees of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Secretary, NiMet Union Joint Action Committee, Okechukwu Nwokoro on Monday.
The non-payment, dating back to 2019, has been a source of tension between NiMet management and employees, leading to frequent clashes with the trade union.
Earlier this year, the situation almost escalated to industrial action as the trade union planned to strike on May 20, 2024.
However, the strike was averted at the last minute following the intervention of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation and Technology and its Senate counterpart. The agreement was reached on May 19, 2024, at a special meeting of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation and Technology, chaired by Chairman Abiodun Akinlade and attended by NiMet management and representatives of the labour union.
NiMet Executive Director, Prof. Charles Anosike expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for approving 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.
NiMet employees represented by the NiMet Trade Union Joint Action Committee also expressed their gratitude to Tinubu, Keyamo, and other government officials for the payment. The trade unions expressed their appreciation for the joint intervention to ensure payment of outstanding minimum wages to NiMet employees for the years 2019 to 2022.
They 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.”
