Workers of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) have officially ended their strike action after intervention from the Federal Government, restoring normalcy to flight operations across the country.
The industrial action, which lasted two days, had severely affected air travel, with several flights grounded nationwide on Thursday due to the absence of crucial weather reports provided by NiMET staff.
Following a crucial meeting in Abuja with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, the workers agreed to suspend the strike.
Their concerns included the delay in implementing the new national minimum wage, exclusion of certain employees from previous allowance payments, and the neglect of essential training programs.
Key aviation stakeholders attended the meeting, including the Director General of NiMET, representatives from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the National Union of Transport Employees, the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, and the National Union of Air Transport Employees.
Flight operations had come to a halt at several airports, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, leaving many passengers stranded.
During the strike, Air Peace made headlines for prioritizing safety over operations.
In a directive to staff, the airline’s CEO Allen Onyema ordered the immediate suspension of flights.
“If NiMET has not called off the strike, cancel every Air Peace flight now with immediate effect. People’s lives and the safety of our equipment and our crew are foremost,” he said.
He further emphasized the dangerous weather conditions, stating: “I don’t care if other airlines are flying. Suspend every Air Peace flight nationwide. Look at the thunderstorm everywhere”.
“Look at the kind of weather we are going into, and NiMET, which is supposed to provide these things, is on strike, and we are flying. Suspend all flights with immediate effect, until further notice, until that strike is over. Safety first.”
