Air Peace suspends flight services over NiMet workers’ strike, foreign airlines monitor situation

• Agency decries strike action by unions
• ValueJet reviews operations

The industrial action embarked upon by the workers of Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) may have taken a huge toll on airlines as Air Peace has suspended all its flight operations nationwide with immediate effect.

Foreign carriers are monitoring the situation keenly to determine the next line of action to take concerning the industrial crisis that may force them to suspend flight services.

VlueJet on Wednesday sent a message to its customers and advised that due to the on-going NiMet strike, there may be flight disruptions.

It further  stated that it would keep passengers informed when or if the strike action starts to affect its flight operations.

The carrier said its decision was necessary because NiMet is the agency responsible for issuing CNH (Current Nowcast of Hazardous Weather) reports, which are critical for safe landings, especially during this season of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.

It noted that without these reports from the control tower, flight safety cannot be guaranteed.

“As a safety-first airline, we have chosen to act responsibly by suspending operations until NiMet resumes full service. We understand this may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely apologize. Passengers will be contacted with updates and options for rescheduling. Thank you for your understanding.”

While has suspended flight operations, other carriers are still carrying out operations as there are indications that the workers would call off their protest as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo had been meeting with unions with a view to finding solution to the industrial unrest that is capable of crippling both domestic and international flight operations.

The workers commenced an indefinite strike on Wednesday, withdrawing all meteorological services nationwide.

It was observed that the strike officially began at 7:00 a.m., with NiMet staff and union members walking around the airport premises holding placards. It was gathered that some staff even slept at the agency’s premises overnight to ensure a total shutdown of operations.

One of the workers lamented, “The situation is bad for us here in NiMet. In terms of our welfare, the salary package and everything are very low compared to our sister agency. You can see a management staff member in NiMet collecting ₦470,000, while someone in the sister agency earns about ₦1.2 million.

“Any increment the Federal Government is making, we are not getting it. We provide more sensitive services than even our sister agency, but our welfare package is so poor that it cannot cover transportation, rent, or even our children’s school fees.

““The working conditions are too poor. We need to be taken care of like our sister agency. We are not asking for too much — just a good condition of service that would at least make life comfortable for us to concentrate on our job.

“We provide services like agro-meteorology, marine, and transportation for all industries. We offer services to them, yet our welfare is too poor. So we are calling on the government to look into our case.”

Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, Paul Ogohi, condemned the conduct of some domestic airlines, while also highlighting the toll the current system is taking on NiMet staff.

“Other international airlines have parked and are keeping strictly to the regulations of ICAO. British Airways has complied, and Qatar Airways has also suspended operations. But the problem we are facing is with Nigerian airlines and their pilots. These rules are meant to govern aviation operations, but we, the locals, are the ones violating these standards. It’s not right.”

“We should discourage it and condemn it entirely. It’s unacceptable. This kind of thing only happens in Nigeria. You can see that unprecedented deaths are occurring in NiMet, as if we are chickens. Nearly 70 per cent of our staff forecasters have high blood pressure.

“Ninety per cent no longer have good vision, because we are constantly working to observe the aerodrome. We have eye defects. It is unbearable. Some of us are taking loans to pay school fees, rent, and even to come to work.”

Meanwhile, the management of NiMet has expressed disappointment with some aviation unions over their decision to embark on a strike that disrupted weather services at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja.

NiMET said it had addressed 70 percent of their demands and was awaiting government approval on the remaining 30 percent.

A NiMet source, who criticised the unions’ decision, said: “Management is disappointed with the hardline stance taken by the unions, especially as some issues have been resolved and others are at various stages of resolution. When the unions served notice of the strike, management outlined the status of each issue. Surprisingly, they proceeded with strike action, having recently commended our labor-friendly policies. One wonders if other motives or actors bent on sabotaging management are at play.

Wole Shadare