FIIRO Workers Groan Over Unpaid Entitlement

Some staffers of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, (FIIRO) Oshodi, Lagos State, have lamented over the non-payment of promotion entitlement due to them for over four years.

The employees who spoke with PUNCH Metro on Monday on conditions of anonymity for fear of being victimised by their employer noted that the situation has brought hardship on them in the face of the current economic reality.

The PUNCH reported on November 8, 2022, that the workers lamented the institute’s new governing board led by Alhaji Gambo Magaji, which was inaugurated in October 2021, jettisoned the promotion exercise conducted by the former board in July 2021.

The institute’s branch Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, Togunde Oyekola, told our correspondent that staff members held prayer and fasting sessions over the crisis rocking the promotion exercise.

One of the staffers who does not want her name in print noted that despite the promotional exercise held by the institute, the promoted staff members had yet to get their promotional entitlement for over four years.

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 staffer who identified himself simply as Rolly noted that while some staff members were paid their promotional entitlement in bits, some were yet to receive their entitlement for the promotional exercise done 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 contacted for reactions, the Public Relations Officer of FIIRO, Chris Olumuyiwa, asked our correspondent to visit the FIIRO office for reactions.

“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.