Research and Allied Institutions’ workers have threatened to embark on a strike action if the Federal Government fails to implement the agreement it reached with the unions in January 2011.

The leaders of the organized unions of research workers’ addressed a joint press conference to decry the neglect of the workers and the non-payment of twelve months salary arrears.

The affected unions include, Non Academic Staff Union, NASU, the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associations, SSAUTHRIAL and the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions, ASURI.

The trio of Peters Adeyemi, NASU General Secretary, M. Akinade, General Secretary, SSAUTHRIAL, and Theo Ndubuaku, Secretary General, ASURI, who signed the text of the press conference on behalf of the workers, called on the Federal Government to pay outstanding 12 months salary arrears on the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure.

Adeyemi who spoke at the press conference, explained that the unions rejected a Federal Government decision to commence implementation of the new salary from July 1, 2010 as against July 1, 2009, which was the effective date for implementation approved for their counterparts in the universities and colleges of agriculture and other research institutions.

The NASU General Secretary who accused the Federal Government of paying lip service to research institutes, said that the union had to call the press conference as a way of calling the attention of the President to the plight of the workers in the Research and Allied Institution and to inform Nigerians that research institutes are not properly funded in the country.

“This has been our plight on the issues in dispute with government and currently all the workers in the Research and Allied Institutions are eager to resume the suspended strike action since government, up till the time of this press conference has not responded positively to our demand to pay the 12 months’ salary arrears on CONASS and implement other issues as agreed upon in the interim report of the Presidential Committee.

“We are therefore using the opportunity of this press conference to call on the Federal Government to respect the content of the interim report of the Presidential Committee and pay the 12 months salary arrears on CONASS to the workers of the Research and Allied Institutions and stop paying lip service to issues affecting the institutions,” Adeyemi said.