The Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol. [Photo: Courtesy]

Vice President for Service Cluster Hussein Abdelbagi on Thursday appealed to public universities teaching staff to give him two more weeks to enable him to engage the Minister of Finance to pay their salary arears.

The appeal comes after the Minister of Higher Education confirmed that he received a two-week ultimatum from the university associations demanding the government to pay their four-month salary arears.

Changson said that the teaching staff threatened to go on strike if the government fails to respond to their demand within two weeks-with just.

“I have received ultimatum from the associations of our universities that if we don’t pay, if they don’t receive their money in one-week time, in two weeks’ time, then they may invoke industrial action,” he said.

The minister was speaking during the sixth ordinary meeting of the National Council for Higher Education in Juba on Thursday.

Mr Chang said the lecturers strike should be avoided as it will negatively affect and destabilize the education system.

“So, as you have been supporting us, so we want you [Vice President] to prevail on our Ministry of finance at least to pay part of that money.”

On Thursday November 23, 2023, the teaching staff of Upper Nile University issued a warning to the national government to pay four months of their salary arrears.

They also demanded their salary arears for the months of April, May, June.

In response, Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi promises to address their concern in two weeks’ time.

“What I want from all the associations which are now giving warning that they are going to strike, they have to give me chance of two weeks because the Minister of Finance is not in the country,” Abdelbagi said.

“He will come back after a week, and this is where I will pick it up such that I can address their problem. And if they want to cooperate with me, I will do that.”

“If they are giving conditions that I cannot manage within this week, then let them do what they want. But if they want real help – a solution, I am going to support that. I can give the arears of three months and also look into the problem of four months (arrears) which are not given.”