Students of the Rumbek University of Science and Technology (RUST) Monday morning staged a peaceful demonstration within their campus, demanding 10 months’ pay arrears for the academic staff of the institution.
They gave a seven-day ultimatum to the national government to clear all the arrears, failure which there would be a massive strike, targeting government infrastructure.
The President of the student’s guild, Sabit Job Reec, told Radio Tamazuj that they had issued the seven-day ultimatum to the National ministries of Higher Education and Finance and planning to clear the 10-months arrears for the academic and the non-academic staff or face a massive protest.
“I am here with executive of the students’ union to present the concerns. We are not having lectures and there is no food on the campus,” he said.
“The families of the members of staff are suffering and we want the government to pay them. We have given a one-week ultimatum in our second call to the national ministries of Higher Education and Finance and Planning and the Chancellor of all the universities,” he added.
Another student’s representative, Dut Michael, said they had been stranded for three months without any learning.
“We need the ministry to pay our teachers their arrears so that they resume their duties. We are also demanding that the university contractor too be paid three years’ arrears,” he said.
He said some students, especially from the distant areas, had nowhere to get food from.
“We are urging our government, particularly the Ministry of Higher Education, to respond to our demands,” he said.
Bhakita Philip said the issues were the salaries for the lecturers and the non-academic staff and food for the students.
Pieng Paanic said it was time the government listened to the voice of the people.
“We need education, and this education cannot happen when our lecturers are not given their rights. So, we need 10-months’ salary arrears for the academic and the and non-academic staff,” he said.
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.
Civil servants and soldiers have gone unpaid salaries for several months. Professionals with monthly salaries ranging from $10 to $50, such as teachers and doctors, have also experienced protracted payment delays.