Speaking after a key stakeholder meeting on Thursday in Abuja, Keyamo declared that the government and NiMET unions had reached an agreement on various concerns, including salary disparities and the implementation of minimum wage increases.
“We have resolved all issues. There was no major disagreement. The few issues that existed were mainly related to implementation and some miscommunication between us and the unions. I must say that since we came into this ministry, we have enjoyed very, very cordial relations with all the aviation unions, and they can testify that we’re on the same page with most of their demands,” he said.
Keyamo highlighted that the government had already identified with the unions’ struggles, particularly around salary discrepancies between NiMET and other aviation agencies.
He acknowledged the frustration of NiMET workers due to these inequalities, noting that the salaries at NiMET were not aligned with those of comparable agencies.
“I agreed that the salaries of NiMET, in particular, were atrocious. They weren’t at par with other aviation agencies, and it was only natural that their patience would run thin,” Keyamo explained.
One of the primary concerns raised by the NiMET workers was the issue of salary relativity with other agencies.
Keyamo confirmed that this issue had been addressed, stating that he would write to President Bola Tinubu to secure formal approval for the salary adjustments, which had already been approved in principle by the previous administration but not implemented.
“I will write a letter to Mr. President, and we hope to receive his formal approval by next Monday or Tuesday. This will allow us to begin implementing the salary changes immediately,” Keyamo said.
In addition to salary adjustments, the government also moved to resolve issues surrounding the implementation of the minimum wage for NiMET workers.
Keyamo noted that the matter had already been cleared with the Federation’s Budget Office and that the funds for the implementation were already available within the current budget.
“We have agreed to implement the minimum wage immediately. It’s a statutory matter, and there’s no reason to delay its payment. NiMET workers will see this reflected in their next salary alerts,” Keyamo assured.
He further stated that if any shortfalls were to arise due to these changes, the ministry would request a supplementary budget by the end of the current budget cycle.
Keyamo also emphasised the importance of transparency throughout the process. He explained that the unions would be actively involved in monitoring the implementation of both the salary and minimum wage adjustments, particularly to ensure transparency and fairness.
“We insisted that union members should be part of the monitoring process at the Budget Office to ensure that everything is done transparently and honestly,” Keyamo said.
Vanguard News
