The Federal Government has paid the outstanding 45-month minimum wage arrears owed to employees of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
This was revealed in a statement issued on Monday by the Secretary of NiMet Union Joint Action Committee, Okechukwu Nwokoro.
The unpaid arrears, which date back to 2019, had been a source of tension between NiMet management and its staff, leading to frequent clashes with labour unions.
Earlier this year, the situation nearly escalated into industrial action, as the unions had planned to go on strike on May 20, 2024.
However, the strike was averted at the last minute following an intervention by the House Committee on Aviation Technology and their Senate counterpart.
Subsequently, an agreement was reached on May 19, 2024, during a special session convened by the House Committee on Aviation Technology, led by its Chairman, Abiodun Akinlade, with NiMet management and union representatives in attendance.
The Director-General of NiMet, Prof Charles Anosike, expressed his gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for authorizing 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.
The staff of NiMet, represented by the NiMet Unions Joint Action Committee, also expressed their appreciation to Tinubu, Keyamo, and other government officials for the payment.
The unions expressed gratitude for the collective intervention in ensuring the payment of the outstanding minimum wage arrears owed to NiMet staff from 2019 to 2022.
It 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.”
