The administration of the University of Juba is threatening to lay down tools and close the institution if their six-month salary arrears are not paid.
The deans’ board of the university on Tuesday discussed the issue of salaries and came out with three resolutions; calling on the finance ministry to ensure payment of the six months salary arrears within seven days starting from yesterday (Wednesday).
The board also called on the education and finance ministries to speedily review and implement the adjusted salary structure based on the directives of President Salva Kiir. The executive director in the office of the Vice-Chancellor, Bek Dhuorjang Chol, told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that they will stop work if their demands are not met in seven days.
“If the ministry of finance does not respond positively to the demands, then the staff will advise or call the administration of the University of Juba to lay down their tools, whether they will do it in sitting or they go on strike and this is their right,” Dhuorjang warned. “The next step that will happen is that the deans’ board will authorize the University of Juba administration to close down.”
“The University of Juba employees never received their salaries for the last six months and this is a major problem. Half a year you are working every day and you are not paid salaries yet your families and relatives are depending on you. How do you expect them to survive without salaries? This is what prompted the meeting yesterday to demand that we be paid salaries,” he added.
Dhuorjang said the university administration has been in talks with the national finance ministry without tangible results.
The university’s students demanded that the government address the issue of the salaries for the lecturers.
Diang Khor Riek, a third-year student of economics said they will be victims of the strike, adding that the government should pay the salaries of the university officials.
“I call upon the government to do something for the lecturers. The government should not fail to pay this money because we are going to be the victims of the issue yet we want to continue with learning,” Khor said.
Kai Bwom Puol Maker, a fourth-year student at the School of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies said the lecturers have the right to go on strike and urged the government to pay them.
“I think the lecturers have a right because they are doing a national service. I urge the government to pay their salaries and equally to other public universities across South Sudan,” he stated.
The University of Juba is the biggest public university in the country with over 29,000 students.