The academic staff of Rumbek University of Science and Technology have rejected one-month salary arrears given to them under the old salary structure.
On Thursday, the general assembly of the university held an extraordinary meeting to review the delay of the payment of two-month pay of February and March, 2023 and their differences which lie between the old and and new salary structure.
As per the old salary structure, a professor would get 540,000 SSP monthly; lecturer, 341,000 SSP; and a teaching assistant, 145,700 SSP. But the new structure doubles it up.
The staff were expecting the new pay structure to be effected from February but to their surprise, they were given one month salary under the old salary structure.
In the Thursday meeting, the staff resolved to reject they pay, signaling continuation of the strike.
“[The] payment of one-month old salary structure to be put on hold by the university…until Thursday 27th April, 2023. The ministry of finance and planning should immediately address the issue of ticket arrears of 2019 to 2022 as well as five months differences from February to June 2023 as agreed in presidency meeting dated 6th April, 2023,” the meeting resolutions read partly.
After an April 6 meeting attended by the ministers of higher education and finance and the vice chancellors of the public universities, President Salva Kiir ordered the minister of finance to immediately meet the grievances of public universities’ staff.
Public universities have been protesting salary arrears and failure by the finance ministry to effect the 100% pay rise.
University of Juba’s vice chancellor Prof. John Akec has threatened to resign by by Wednesday next week if the government fails to pay him and his staff the two-month salaries under the new salary structure.
