NiMet Workers Embarks On Indefinite Strike Over Welfare Issues

Workers at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have started an indefinite strike across the country, protesting unresolved welfare issues.

Key grievances include the agency’s failure to negotiate or implement agreed financial allowances, unresolved entitlements like wage awards and special allowances, and unpaid balances from the 2019 minimum wage.

The workers also accused NiMet’s management of withholding important documents, disregarding requests to include excluded staff in past payments, and prioritizing executive retreats over necessary training programs.

In a letter issued on Monday, signed by the Union of Air Transport Employees, the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, the unions accused NiMet of failing to honor previous commitments.

“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 reads.

The workers said that NiMet’s failure to meet their demands left them with no choice but to strike.

They called for all services to be withdrawn from the agency starting April 22, unless further instructions are given.

The union also pointed out that an agreement made with management on January 28, 2025, to partially address the issues had largely been ignored.

“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 honored largely only in the breach,” the union added.

“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.”

Earlier in January, the union had issued a 14-day ultimatum to NiMet over the unresolved welfare issues.

Following the strike threat, NiMet had appealed to workers to delay their action after an agreement was reached.

KanyiDaily recalls that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had vowed to embark on indefinite strike in states where the new minimum wage has not yet been implemented.