Just-In: NiMet workers embark on indefinite strike

Staff of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have announced the start of an indefinite strike beginning today, April 22, 2025, due to unresolved issues and what they describe as continuous violations of a collective bargaining agreement by the agency’s leadership.

In a joint letter, the Union of Air Transport Employees, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical, and Recreational Services Employees accused NiMet management of neglecting agreements meant to address long-standing salary and welfare concerns.

The unions said the strike was their last resort after several failed efforts to get the agency to fulfil its promises.

The letter read, “As you are all aware, our unions have strived strenuously over the past few years to alleviate the exceedingly unjust remunerations conundrum that has visited extreme poverty and consequent untold hardship on NiMet workers. These efforts have been largely without substantial results.”

The unions expressed disappointment over management’s failure to implement a partial agreement reached on January 28, 2025.

“You are equally aware that the agreement between the management and our unions since 28th January 2025 towards partial amelioration of the above-stated condition has been honored largely only in the breach.

“In the light of management’s inability to address our given grave concerns, and being that we can no longer continue to cope with present hardships (given the huge disparity in remunerations with our peers), and especially as the ultimatum given to the Management has expired, we have no choice than to resume the suspended strike,” the workers said in the letter.