The academic and non-academic staff of the University of Bahr el-Ghazal remain on strike despite having started receiving their salary arrears.
The workers went on strike on October 14 to demand 11 months unpaid dues, ticket allowances and medical arears from the National Ministry of Finance.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj over the weekend, the University Academic Staff Chairperson, Joseph Lual Dario, said despite receiving a one-month pay, they would continue with their strike until the government releases the remaining amounts.
“We are still demanding our salaries for 10 months. The one-month pay will not do much for us as we have many debts and bills to pay,” he said.
Dario complained that the banks were not tolerating their situation since the money transferred into their accounts was not being paid in full.
“When we go to the banks, they tell us that they don’t have enough cash,” he said.
“We are not happy because one can queue at the banks from morning to sunset but end up not getting the full amount,” he added.
“We are still demanding our pay and our strike continues,” he said.
Dario urged the National Government to release the remaining 10 months’ pay so that all the staff resume their duties at the university.
South Sudan’s economy has been under pressure in recent years, with crude oil export revenue having dwindled since a 2013-2018 conflict and, more recently, export disruptions due to war in neighbouring Sudan.
President Salva Kiir in July admitted that civil servants and soldiers had gone unpaid salaries for several months, blaming it on the mismanagement of the money collected from non-oil revenues.
Professionals with monthly salaries ranging from $10 to $50, such as teachers and doctors, have also experienced protracted payment delays.