Academic staff at the three universities who previously resolved to go on strike. (Photo: Courtesy).

Two more public universities have joined the University of Bahr el Ghazal in threatening to go on strike over the delayed implementation of the new salary structure. 

The administrations of Rumbek University of Science and Technology, University of Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile University are also demanding immediate payment of their four-month arrears.

In a letter issued on November 17, the institutions demanded that the government urgently implements the new salary scale, in accordance with the bank inflation rate of 629 SSP per one USD.

The joint statement addressed to the Minister of Higher Education Education, Science, and Technology, the universities also asked for an increased medical allowances, ticket fares, and training to be included in the new salary scale.

“The joint meeting for the five committee members came up with very powerful resolutions, we have come up with five strong resolutions that will guide us for one week only,” said Mathew Malou, the secretary of the universities alliance that drafted the letter.

“We are calling for urgent implementation of a new salary scale according to the bank inflation rate of 629 SSP per $ 1, and not what is called budget rate which is 400 SSP per $1,” he told Eye Radio.

The teaching staff have given the government until next week to respond to their demands – or else they will take industrial action.

Pio Kur Deng who is the Deputy Chairperson of the Academic Staff Association at Upper Nile University also confirmed the submission of their demands to the Minister of Higher Education.

“I just want to inform the public that, we have submitted a copy of this resolution to the Hon.Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology to table this resolution to the minister of cabinet affairs.”

“So that he can be able to passed it by the council of ministers and to be passed also by the vice-chancellors of the public universities of South Sudan which are five.”

In September, the national cabinet approved the 658 billion pounds in new salary structure for civil servants and constitutional post-holders to meet their demands amid a global economic crisis.

However, the salary increment budget has not been tabled in the national legislature despite its approval by the cabinet.

Meanwhile, Joseph Lual Dario the chairperson of the academic staff association at the University of Bahr el Ghazal called on the government to speed up the passing of the salary increment bill.

“So, now from Monday 21st up to Friday 25 November 2022 we must get an immediate response,” said Lual.

He added that failure to do so, “we are going to declare industrial action with the five public universities.”

On November 11, Lual was abducted and detained in an unknown location in Wau town. He was then released twelve hours later.

His detention followed the announcement of a salary-related strike by the university’s staff association that week.

Lual Dario said he was phoned by national security on Wednesday morning to report to its office in Wau town, before being intercepted and ordered into a tinted car by four men.

Several calls to the Minister of Higher Education, Gabriel Changson Chang went answered.