Staff members at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research in Oshodi, Lagos State, have expressed distress over the prolonged non-payment of their entitled promotions, spanning a period of more than four years.
Speaking to PUNCH Metro on Monday, these employees, who preferred anonymity due to fear of reprisals from their employer, highlighted the immense hardship caused by this situation, especially considering the current economic challenges.
An earlier report by The PUNCH on November 8, 2022, revealed that the workers raised concerns about the actions of the institute’s new governing board, headed by Alhaji Gambo Magaji.
This board, inaugurated in October 2021, disregarded the promotion exercise conducted by the former board in July 2021.
Tge institute’s branch Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, Togunde Oyekola, informed journalists that staff members resorted to prayer and fasting sessions due to the crisis surrounding the halted promotion exercise.
A staff member, speaking anonymously, highlighted the frustration felt by those who were promoted but had not received their entitlements for over four years, despite the institute’s conduct of the promotional exercise.
She said, “We have been sitting for promotion exams for the past four years without being paid our promotion arrears. I approached the management and what I was told was that my promotion was last year, why am I complaining? We have staff that were owed arrears from three years ago, yours is recent so be patient, the DG is working on it.
“It is unfortunate that despite that our salaries were not increased, the economic reality has made it difficult for me to meet up with responsibility. I am appealing to the management of FIIRO to help us resolve this issue.”
Another employee, identified as Rolly, pointed out that while some of their colleagues received partial payments for their promotional entitlements, there are still others who have not received any payments for the promotions conducted in 2019.
He said, “Before the crisis, when you do your promotion in December, the following year by January, you started to get your promotional entitlement but along the line, things changed. Those that did their promotion in 2019, were just paid early this year in bits.
“Despite the protest embarked upon by the staff members some time ago, nothing was done to it and this is affecting us. The economy is not favourable at all.”
When approached for comments, Chris Olumuyiwa, the Public Relations Officer of FIIRO, requested physical meeting for his response.
“I can’t give you reactions on the phone. You can come to the office if you want my audience, that’s the process,” he said.
