The federal government Monday paid the outstanding 45-month minimum wage arrears owed to staff of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
TheHintsNews reports that the non-payment of arrears which dated back to 2019 has often pitted NiMet management against staff of the agency and the labour unionsl.
In May of this year, the union had planned to embark on industrial action on Monday, May 20, 2024.
However, following an intervention by the House Committee on Aviation Technology and their Senate counterpart, the union suspended the strike action after an agreement was reached on Sunday, May 19, 2024, during a special session convened by the House Committee on Aviation Technology led by the Chairman, Hon. Abiodun Akinlade, with NiMet management and representatives of the unions present.
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike, commended President Bola Tinubu for authorising the payment of the arrears.
Hey said; “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 Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN) for the role he played.”
Staff of NiMet, through the NiMet Unions Joint Action Committee (NJAC), have also commended Tinubu, Keyamo, the National Assembly joint committees on Aviation, and t Anosike.
In a statement issued Monday and signed by Comrade Okechukwu Nwokoro, Secretary NJAC and Branch President of SSASCGOC, NiMet, the unions expressed their profound gratitude for the collective intervention in ensuring the payment of the outstanding minimum wage arrears owed to NiMet staff from 2019 to 2022.
It noted: “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.”