The management of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has again invited the unions in the aviation industry for another dialogue, saying it has made frantic efforts at implementing the Eight-point Agreement reached previously.
The response is sequel to the recent re-emergence of the resumption of the threat of Industrial Action by the unions in a fight for the welfare of its members in the workforce of NiMet.
NiMet management in a response letter to the General Secretaries of the unions under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), said it was most unfair to management, for the unions to allege that all elements of the Agreement reached on 28th January 2025 were yet to be implemented.
The letter endorsed by its Director, Human Resource Management & Administration, Nasiru Sani, said the management has related with the relevant government agencies to address the issues they raised.
He noted that most of the issues that were raised were not those that management could handle with just the rule of the thumb, but issues that needed the interventions of other government agencies that management have actually related with and in most of the cases awaiting responses or approvals.
Pointing out that the unions were aware that the Conditions of Service had been forwarded to the Ministry for processing, he expressed dismay at the unions’ “unbelief” attitude, of thinking that the management could negatively have tampered with a document that is also beneficial to members of management, stating the the Director General/CEO of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, added allowances that were not negotiated for at the committee meetings to enrich the content of the document, using his prerogative power.
“Still on the Conditions of Service, it is on record that three copies of this proposed Conditions of Service were handed to one of the Union’s National Executive Member for onward delivery to other Union Members as on the 9th of April, 2025 about 11.00 am, in the Director, Human Resource Management and Administration’s office”, Sani said.
He went ahead to detail other concrete steps taken by management to implement the agreement, including ongoing staff training that commenced last year.
“When this management came on board, following the outcry that staff had stayed for several years without any trainings, it became a policy matter that staff trainings would no longer be selective hence the directive to put in place a structured training programme in which all staff would be trained systematically and this commenced in the year 2024.
“It is tagged “continuous Staff training” because it had been management’s desire to completely train all staff as at 2024 before commencing that of 2025. It would at this point be necessary to inform that these staff trainings have been ongoing smoothly and that approval has already been secured for the training of other Salary Grade Levels that are already on queue awaiting to take their turn.
“The unions’ allegation that management is scheduling another management retreat is unfounded, untrue, and baseless as there is no such proposal, and in any way, if management is predisposed to a retreat, it must not be at the instance of the unions”, Sani explained.
Continuing, he said it was “pertinent to note that while management appreciated the efforts in averting any industrial crisis through the harmonious collaboration with the unions, it must be known that management never relaxed its efforts towards being in line with the collective bargaining reached in the Agreement with the unions.
“As already mentioned, what was within the purview of management to do, has already been done and those that other government agencies has responsibility over, management have kept pursuing”.
He was of the view that the unions came up with the ideas of the industrial action in a hurry boycotting the due process of seven days warning, and also described the move as an affront against the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
Sani emphasised: “The unions’ call for the commencement of comprehensive mobilisation seem to have been contemplated in a hurry, safe for the oversight of not going by the rule of allowing at least seven days’ notice as prescribed by known labour laws.
“The suddenness expressed here, is a clear sabotage and being insensitive to the government and management’s efforts to manage and address a historical perennial situation that had bedevilled the agency, all these past years.
“Again, it must be noted that this call has obvious security implications and is an affront on the Honourable Minister, whose concerns and efforts to continuously address the peculiar challenges of the agency have had no bounds and as well as an infringement on the realisation of Mr. President’s agenda on security and development of the sector”.
The Human Resources Director stated that the the management had made very frank efforts to address all the eight points the unions presented to the management as their concerns and agitations, absolutely respecting the agreement reached with the unions.
Therefore, he said “the recent threats are becoming indicative that there is more to these agitations than what is actually known.
“From the foregoing, it is obvious that management had with great efforts attempted to address all issues raised and even more.
“For instance, as regards the Subsistence Benefits, which actually was an idea of the Director General/Chief Executive towards ameliorating staff conditions, it has not only been captured in the proposed reviewed Conditions of Service but that management has gone shead to secure the Honourable Minister’s approval to effect payment.
“What is presently delaying the Subsistence Benefit’s payment is the confirmation to the Permanent Secretary, that the agency can pay, and this had already been communicated to the Ministry as of Wednesday 9th April, 2025.
“Again, to express ever good intentions of management, even with the paucity of funds being experienced in the agency, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer, approved and paid to all staff, the Conditions of Service Allowance for the quarter just last week”.
Also worth mentioning, according to Sani, is the fact that, towards the implementation and facilitation of all these commitments, management has pursued and secured approval from the Honourable Minister, for an upward review of the Cost Recovery (IGR) that the agency receives from NAMA, NCAA, and FAAN to enable the it to improve on the welfare of the entire staff.
However, with the unions resumption of threat of Industrial Action recently, Sani reiterated that the management is always open to dialogue.
iHe said that the NiMet management intends to always uphold highly harmonious working relationships, hence another invitation to the unions for a dialogue to further emphasise and clarify perceived grey areas.