Pay rise: Research Workers, Others Demand N8.32bn Arrears

• Pay rise: Research Workers, Others Demand N8.32bn Arrears

The Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, has called on the Federal Government to fulfil its agreement and ensure the payment of 12 months arrears of 53.37 per cent salary increase estimated at N8.32bn.

The agreement, according to SSAUTHRIAI, was reached with its Joint Research and Allied Institutions Sector Union since January 2011.

The organisation also demanded the approval of the increment of pension deductions from 15 per cent to 18 per cent as provided in the Pension Reform Act 2014.

The sector chairman of SSAUTHRIAI, Felix Uwadiae and sector secretary, Ademola Olajire, made the demands in a communiqué issued at the end of its sector council meeting held at the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, Sheda in Abuja, obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday.

The communiqué read in part: “The council-in-session calls on the Federal Government to honour the agreement reached with JORAISU since January 2011, which includes the payment of 12 months’ arrears of 53.37 per cent salary increase estimated at N8.32 billion; retirement age of 65 years, release of conditions and schemes of service and funding of research institutes and others.

“The council also calls on PENCOM to immediately effect payment of retirement benefits of retired officers who are yet to be paid since September 2017, while the accrued rights of officers under the defined benefits scheme should be converted to bonds and released to the affected workers.”

SSAUTHRIAI also described as unjustifiable the non-approval of the increment of pension deductions from 15 per cent to 18 per cent as provided in the Pension Reform Act 2014.

While imploring the Federal Government to fasttrack the transmission of the report of the minimum wage to the National Assembly for legislation, SSAUTHRIAI commended the efforts of the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria on the wage increase agitation.

The council-in-session expressed dismay at the rate of killings and kidnapping in various parts of the country and therefore urged the Federal Government to provide maximum security of lives and property before, during and after the 2019 general elections.