NIMET’s Protracted Labour Challenges

Chinedu Eze

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has been having labour issues over the welfare of its workers since the past nine years and recently the workers of the agency have threatened to embark on strike action for seven days in protest against over 42 months unpaid salary arrears.

NiMET workers issued a warning in a letter signed by union representatives, demanding the settlement of 42 months of outstanding arrears by Monday, 20th May 2024. Failure to comply will result in a withdrawal of services.

Meanwhile, NiMet Management has assured  staff of efforts to resolve unpaid salary adjustment disputes saying the issues predates current management.

The letter addressed to the NiMET Director General was signed by the General Secretary, the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE),  Ocheme Aba, General secretary, Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), and General Secretary, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Abdulrasaq Saidu.

The unions accused the management of NiMET of neglecting the welfare of the agency’s workers and called for a restructuring of the salary system to align with government-approved standards and the resolution of outstanding CoS issues with set timelines for action.

The letter also accused management of deceptive practices in previous payment agreements, highlighting a lack of responsiveness to staff concerns.

“Your management took the decision to off-set the payment of the 45 months arrears on instalment basis. It turned out to be a gimmick to just avert the strike as management discontinued the payment after only three months. This left a balance of forty-two (42) months,” the letter said.

THISDAY learnt that despite recent initiatives to provide relief and salary increases, the government excluded NiMet staff, further exacerbating tensions.

Responding to concerns over unpaid salary adjustments, Dr. Nasiru Sani, NiMet’s HR Director, emphasized the institution’s commitment and explained that the issues’ pre-existing nature but assured ongoing engagement with unions and updates on progress and cited recent discussions with union reps at the Budget Office.

“We are optimistic and hopeful of a positive outcome. The Budget Office informed us during our last visit with the union representative that arrears payments are not unique to NiMet. They have placed NiMet in the sixth batch of scheduled payments. Currently they are paying the fifth batch,” Sani explained.

In 2017, under the then Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Abubakar Mashi, the unions petitioned the then management of the agency. The Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals had petitioned the then Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, over alleged neglect of the union’s members at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

In a letter signed by the association’s Secretary General, Abdul Rasaq Saidu, ANAP alleged that in the past years, various director-generals and chief executive officers of NiMet had violated the Public Service Rules through irregular employment, promotion of junior workers above their seniors, and indiscriminate filling of vacant positions from outside the agency without internal and external advertisements of such vacant positions as required by law.

ANAP said the activities carried out on the basis of demographic representation or political sentiments had placed existing serving career members of staff in NiMet at a disadvantage.

The association said, “A lot of long serving meteorologists were cheated in 2005 when the then CEO and his management team carried out an employment exercise for fresh meteorologists to G1.08 with first degree to complement the workforce of the agency at that time. But to the surprise of everyone, they placed some of their candidates with same first degree as others on GL.09, that is a grade level higher without any justification.

“The exercise done 12 years ago was to position the meteorologists for leadership over their colleagues. Such a step was a dangerous trend, which became an order of the day in MiMet. Subsequent DGs and CEOs and other management used this as an opportunity for them to also position their own in leadership positions in the agency regardless of the provisions of the Public Service Rules of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as it concerns promotion and employment,” the union said.

ANAP also stated that to correct the rot in the agency, it had written a letter dated July 27, 2017 to the Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Abubakar Mashi.

According to the association, the letter which was acknowledged on July 31, 2017, was meant to create a platform whereby it would meet with the DG, NiMet management and other stakeholders to discuss the issues.

Two years earlier, NiMET had threatened to down tools and demanded a better working environment and respect for dignity of labour.

That was on May 12, 2015; when NUATE said in a statement that

NiMET staff want better working environment and respect for dignity of labour.

NUATE said the union had engaged in social dialogue with the management of NIMET, where several of their grievances had been laid before the management, with a view to getting answers to them, in the collective interests of all parties.

The issues the staff are demanding include promotions, 13th month, 27 percent relativity arrears of six months, visa fees for about 60 staff, pre-retirement training, training and retraining of all categories of personnel, filling of existing vacancies, review of the conditions of service/inauguration of COS members and remittance of union dues.

The union claimed that from available records, NIMET management earned more than 40 percent on its internally generated revenue for 2013 and therefore does not have any excuse for denying and depriving any worker of their financial entitlements.

“This bulletin is essentially to draw your attention to where we are with your unwilling, insensitive, uncaring and self-centered management, so that you must begin to mobilise for action which shall come in the next few weeks,” NUATE had said.

The major problem with these labour issues, THISDAY learnt, is that in the last nine years or more, none of the NiMET management has been firm in ending this problem.

When he was newly appointed, the then Director General, Prof. Abubakar Sani Mashi, promised he would ensure an adequate welfare of the agency’s workers.

“I am impressed with the very sensitive nature of the work done here, and I am quite ready and willing to promote workers’ welfare, based on creativity, innovation and professionalism required to take NiMet to the next level,” but he was removed without his fulfilling his promise to the workers.