NiMET condition of service :Union set for showdown with management

The Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals ANAP is poised for a showdown with the management of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency NiMET over condition of service of its workers.

The union’s six months ultimatum to the NiMET management is expected to elapse in August 2018 after series of letters without management response on the issue

Investigation by this correspondent revealed that officials from the national secretariat of ANAP had written letters requesting for date with the NiMET management to iron out workers condition of service since 2017 in order to give the workers sense of belonging.

Investigation further revealed that the NiMET management has been distabilizng all attempts by the union in the agency to frustrate several meetings.

ANAP, it was gathered wrote a letter of meting with NiMET management in November 2017 but the management failed to respond to it.

It was gathered that issues attempted to address included, the recruitment of about 200 workers in NiMET all allegedly from one geo political zone.

According to investigation, the workers, BSC holders were placed on level 17 on appointments ahead of the old staff. This development has created disaffection among the workers.

Other issues include, training and retraining of staff, promotion and filling existence vacancies in the agency, NiMET station and operational facilities, others include update on NiMET condition of service and staff ex-gratia.

The union on March 16 2018, issued another letter requesting for audience with the management of NiMET warning that failure to meet with them will lead to state of emergency on the condition of service of NiMET within six months.

It was gathered that the six months ultimatum will expire in August 2018 and the union has vowed to distablise the system of NiMET should management fail to implement the condition of service and other issues raised.

Contacted, the National secretary of ANAP, Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu disclosed that the ultimatum remained binding adding that NiMET in their own interest should yield to the union’s demand.

According to Comrade Saidu, there was no going back on the ultimatum since  NiMET management has disregarded all correspondence to it by the union.

Saidu said NiMET management should be held responsible for any industrial unrest in the establishment at the end of the August ultimatum.