University of Bahr el Ghazal academic staff strike over pay

The academic staff at the University of Bahr el Ghazal in Wau, South Sudan, have gone on a seven-day strike to demand payment of their salary arrears and allowances, reports Radio Tamazuj.

A banner seen by Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday 26 June said the university’s Academic Staff Association has joined other public universities across the country and gone on a seven-day strike starting Monday 24 June to 1 July. It said it will go on another 21-day strike if there is no positive response from the national government. It gave the National Ministry of Finance a seven-day ultimatum to pay staff dues.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Joseph Lual Dario, the chairperson of the Teaching Staff Association at the University of Bahr el Ghazal, said they decided to down their tools because they had already warned the government. “We went on strike because two weeks ago we gave a warning of seven days to the national government, but nothing was done regarding payments of our salary arrears, air tickets and medication. If the government does not respond to our demands after seven days, we will go on an indefinite strike and there will be no exams for the students because they have been patient for more than five years,” he stated.
Full report on the Radio Tamazuj site