By Deng Ghai Deng
Teaching staff at the University of Juba have also announced plans to stop all work starting July 26th if overdue salaries and allowances are not promptly paid.
The decision, reached by a majority vote of 56 out of 62 teaching staff members, comes after enduring nearly nine months without salaries amidst severe economic challenges plaguing South Sudan.
The ultimatum was articulated in a statement issued by representatives from various schools within the university, following a meeting on Saturday.
Demands include the full payment of eight months’ back wages and settlement of pending allowances, crucial for covering basic expenses such as transportation.
“We are not robots; even robots require electricity and maintenance to perform efficiently,” the statement read.
“It is unsustainable for us to continue teaching voluntarily for nearly nine (9) months without compensation.”
The statement added that already, 30% of lectures have been affected as Lecturers struggle to afford transportation costs to the University.
The decision to strike was further fueled by allegations of administrative indifference. According to the teaching staff, efforts to raise concerns during Dean’s Board meetings have been stifled, allegedly at the behest of the Vice-Chancellor.
Additionally, the absence of a functioning Staff Union has exacerbated feelings of marginalization among university personnel.
Adam Cholong, Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Juba, acknowledged awareness of the grievances but noted that no formal complaint had been officially lodged with university administration as of yet.
“There is just muttering about the [salaries] complaints about but nobody has arrived to say something,” Cholong said.
If implemented, the strike action would see faculty members withhold their services until salaries are deposited into their accounts, with exceptions made only for top university officials who continue to receive allowances and transportation support.
The Ministry of Finance, responsible for salary disbursements, has not yet responded to requests for comment.
For now, the university community awaits the outcome of negotiations expected to intensify in the coming days, with the looming prospect of academic disruptions casting a shadow over the start of the new academic term.
This latest development is part of a wider pattern of protests and industrial action by frustrated educators across the country.
Earlier this month, staff at the Rumbek University of Science and Technology staged a demonstration, demanding the payment of arrears owed to them for over 8 months.
This has forced many to abandon their classrooms in search of alternative livelihoods, depriving students of their right to education.