By Bimbola Oyesola
Workers in the Research institutions across the country at the weekend began an indefinite strike over failure by the Federal Government to fully implement the 10-year agreement reached with the unions since 2010.
Labour, under the Joint Research and Allied Institutions Sector Unions (JORAISU), comprising the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) and the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), Thursday vowed not to return to work until government yield to its demands.
In Lagos, the unions, which began their protest at the Bar-beach area, shutdown Victoria Island, carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs.
It said the 30-days cumulative ultimatum it gave the Federal Government to fully implement the agreement was blatantly ignored, thereby forcing the unions to proceed on indefinite strike.
Their unresolved demands and grievances, the unions, mentioned include payment of 12-months Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS) arrears of 53.37 per cent increase; withdrawal of circular on non-skipping of salary Grade Level 10 (NICN Court judgment in favour of trade unions and others); retirement age of 65 years for non-research staff as is obtainable in the universities and others; peculiar and earned allowances; adequate funding of research institutes and release of scheme/conditions of service, among others.
Speaking during the protest, Lagos State Council Chairman, NASU, Oladejo Olawole, said the strike was long over due, as the Federal Government has failed to meet its grievances.
He said the unions would not go back to work until their demands are met urging the federal government to take research serious as it is the backbone of the economy.
Also, Chairman, SSAUTHRIAI, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), Godwin Asikhia, said if the Federal Government reached an agreement with the unions and refused to implement the agreement, the unions have no options than to embark on a strike to push down its demand.
“We are appealing to the government to meet our demands because we are not ready to sit at home, we want to work so that this country will develop technologically and infrastructural-wise so that we will not be held liable. We want to get all we need so we can work effectively for the development of the country,” he said.
Public Relations Officer of ASURI, Dr. Priscilla Etokpah, equally appealed to the Federal Government to urgently address its needs.
zzzzzzShe said JORAISU has been on this for years, adding that it is high time government answered them, “We are working for government and there are so many backlogs of demands that needed to be addressed. We are law-abiding citizens, we urge the government to look into these problems and implement them on time. We are researchers who work for the government and we are convinced they will listen to us.”
In the same vein, Chairperson, Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Florence Ogunleye, said: “The Federal Government should take research important. Any country that did not fund research will not forward, and Nigeria can only move forward if they take research institutes forward and give us all our requests.
“Most time we will not have materials to work with. We are using this protest to urge the Federal Government to value research because research is the innovation of the country.”