Workers at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) initiated an indefinite nationwide strike on Wednesday, resulting in the shutdown of meteorological services.
Their action was visible as early as 7:00 a.m. at the Abuja airport, where NiMet staff and union members were seen carrying placards in protest.
Persecondnews gathered that some staff even slept at the agency’s premises overnight to ensure a total shutdown of operations.
A worker, who expressed frustration, said: “The situation is bad for us here in NiMet. In terms of our welfare, the salary package and everything are very low compared to our sister agency. You can see a management staff member in NiMet collecting N470,000, while someone in the sister agency earns about N1.2 million.
“Any increment the Federal Government is making, we are not getting it. We provide more sensitive services than even our sister agency, but our welfare package is so poor that it cannot cover transportation, rent, or even our children’s school fees.
“The working conditions are too poor. We need to be taken care of like our sister agency. We are not asking for too much — just a good condition of service that would at least make life comfortable for us to concentrate on our job.
“We provide services like agro-meteorology, marine, and transportation for all industries. We offer services to them, yet our welfare is too poor. So we are calling on the government to look into our case.”
Paul Ogohi, Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees(AUPCTRE), slammed the conduct of some domestic airlines and underscored the heavy toll the current system is taking on NiMet employees.
He said: “Other international airlines have parked and are keeping strictly to the regulations of ICAO. British Airways has complied, and Qatar Airways has also suspended operations. But the problem we are facing is with Nigerian airlines and their pilots.
“These rules are meant to govern aviation operations, but we, the locals, are the ones violating these standards. It is not right.
“We should discourage it and condemn it entirely. It’s unacceptable. This kind of thing only happens in Nigeria. You can see that unprecedented deaths are occurring in NiMet, as if we are chickens. Nearly 70% of our staff forecasters have high blood pressure.
“About 90% no longer have good vision, because we are constantly working to observe the aerodrome. We have eye defects. It is unbearable. Some of us are taking loans to pay school fees, rent, and even to come to work.
“We are appealing to the Minister to please come to our aid. We are seeing changes, but those changes should extend to NiMet because we are suffering.”
Reacting, Mr. Michael Achimugu, Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said safety remains the top priority and announced that a meeting with the unions is imminent.
“The NCAA is going into a meeting with the unions soon. However, NAMA is currently providing auxiliary services. You should know that in aviation, safety comes first.
“So, if there is any threat to operations at this moment, nobody will be allowed to fly. Rest assured,” he said.
The strike on Wednesday caused significant disruptions at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State, leaving numerous passengers stranded and resulting in delays for multiple scheduled flights.
Persecondnews reports that many air travelers were left in limbo as a consequence of the widespread flight delays triggered by the industrial action.
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