By Cosmas Okereafor
Airplanes flying in and out of the country may be at risk as three aviation unions in the country, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) have directed its members in the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) to embark on indefinite strike by withdrawing all services from the agency with effect from midnight of Tuesday, 22nd April, 2025 with exception until otherwise.
The unions have also directed all their branches and State Councils nationwide to mobilise all aviation workers to offer solidarity support to NIMET workers at all stations and to ensure full effect of this directive.The unions gave the directive in a circular sent to all NIMET workers and signed by the General Secretary of NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Abah, Secretary General of ANAP, Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu and General Secretary, AUPCTRE, Comrade Sikiru Waheed, dated 18th April, 2025. In the circular titled: “Unacceptable Elongation of Suffering of NiMet Workers-Notice of Strike Action”, the unions stated that “our unions have strived strenuously over the past few years to alleviate the exceedingly unjust remuneration conundrum that has visited extreme poverty and consequential untold hardship on NiMet workers.
These efforts have been largely without substantial results”. “You are aware equally that the agreement between the management and our unions since 28 January, 2025 towards partial amelioration of the above stated condition has been honoured largely, only in the breach.” “In light of the management inability to address our given concerns and being that we can no longer continue to cope with the present hardships, given the huge disparity in remuneration with our peers, and especially as the ultimatum given to the management has expired, we have no other choice than to resume the suspended strike”, the unions stated. As a result of this developments, it will difficult for airlines to get weather briefing reports for flight planning It is a practice to get weather report of destinations by crew to plan ahead. Nimet’s weather forecast has been adjudged to be accurate
