The disagreement between the management of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and its workers has deepened with the management dismissing claims by the workers that the management has received money for 2012 and 2013 promotion arrears from the Budget Office, Abuja.

 

NIMR workers under the auspices of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, had embarked on a three – day warning strike over what it described as non-payment of promotion arrears and 2013 salary shortfall.

 

At a press conference in Lagos recently, the Director General of NIMR, Prof. Innocent Ujah, said the institute was yet to receive the 2012 and 2013 promotion arrears, and that the workers’ claim was unfounded.

 

“The institute - like all other ministries, departments and agencies , MDAs - submitted its request for the payment of unpaid arrears for the promotion exercise conducted in 2012 and 2013 to the Budget Office, Abuja. Up till this moment, we have not received any financial allocation to that effect despite our repeated visits to the office. Again, the fact that no fund has been received to pay these arrears can be verified from the Budget Office," he explained.

 

According to Ujah, the three-day warning strike embarked by NASU was ill- motivated, pre-determined, pre-conceived, completely unwarranted. He called the strike action a sinister move that falls short of responsible Unionism.

 

 

Meanwhile, on the delay in the conduct of 2015 promotions, Ujah explained that like every other MDAs, NIMR has presented and defended its manpower budget for 2015, and that the office of the head of civil service was yet to release letter of approval.

 

NASU had gone on a three-day warning strike from Monday to Wednesday last week  to, among others, demand for the payment of the arrears. The Union maintains the management has collected the funds from the Budget Office.

 

NASU Chairman, NIMR branch, Eghosa Ehikhametalo in his reaction said, they decided to embark on the strike having discovered that the bulk money due for their promotion arrears had been diverted for other purposes, maintaining that NIMR has collected the said funds from Abuja.

 

By Rebecca Ejifoma

This Day