Research assistants in Parliament have served notice of staging a demonstration on Thursday over the non-payment of their salaries.
The research assistants said they are forced to hold the demonstration because all other “democratic avenues” to get their salaries paid have proven futile.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, and sighted by citinewsroom.com, the research assistants said they have not been paid for the past 11 months.
“Many of us have not been paid salaries very close to one-year (eleven months) now and this situation is rather worrying and appalling considering the fact that many of us are really working hard to assist our Honourable Members deliver on their mandate as Members of Parliament so as to improve parliamentary democracy.”
The research assistants whose job is mainly to assist legislators to research on issues and dig out information for the Members of Parliament said the non-payment of their salaries is negatively affecting their economic lives as they are not given any allowance for the services they render.
“We are not entitled to any allowances, emoluments or any other fringe benefits as Research Assistants. We are only entitled to our monthly salaries and we have to convey ourselves to work without any transport allowance as compared to other staff working in Parliament. We only rely on our salaries for all our basic needs and this very issue of non-payment of Research Assistants salaries is really crippling us.”
While giving assurances that the demonstration will be peaceful, the aggrieved research assistants said they “cannot continue to suffer in silence” and so the demonstration will be to vent their frustration.
Read their letter below: