Researchers demand their dues [Archives:2003/626/Local News]
Mohammed bin Sallam
Employees and researchers at the Yemeni Studies and Research Center staged a sit-in in, protesting what they described as , “unjust arbitrariness” against the finance ministry for recouping their salaries guaranteed by a law equaling them to their dues with those of the teaching staff at universities.
In a statement issued last Wednesday by researchers at the Yemeni Studies and Research Center said that a 10-year period has elapsed and their demands haven't been met yet.
The statement added that researchers at the center have showed a great interest on that the law and judiciary are their utmost support on their demands.
In this regard, the center researchers have got four judicial orders for their legal rights in order to get their dues. The first legal right was on December 20, 2002, the justice minister's speeches, the prime minister, and recommendations of the parliament.
All those bodies confirmed not only on adhering to what have been mentioned at the judicial orders, but also increasing their accredited financial allocations for scientific researches.
“This stage-in symbolizes the researchers' insistence to continue on demanding their rights and their readiness to protest using all the civilized forms and ways in order to make their voices heard for the direct and indirect concerned bodies and to disclose illegal practices of the finance ministry,” the statement concluded.
On his part, Dr. Abdulaziz al-Maqaleh, the Chairman of the Yemeni Studies and Research Center told the Yemen Times that the reason behind holding the stage-in is to settle the financial problems as that of their counterparts at the university. “It is a legal democratic expression. I hope that the concerned bodies will take an interest of this issue, particularly by the finance ministry,” al-Maqaleh noted further.
One of the protesters during the sit-in said 1.000.000 has been approved by Yemeni government and such amount of money is insufficient even for the paper requirements.
“This is a clear testimony of not paying an attention or interest by the government towards the scientific research, while the other highly developed countries have give enough attention to the scientific research. Take for instance, Israel, around 30 percent is approved for the benefit of the scientific research out of its annual budget. Around USD 25 billion is allotted for military research purposes,” he concluded.
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