University students in Bor protest against salary delays for lecturers in 2019 Credit | Ayom Ruei

Public university lecturers have started receiving salaries with the new structure, a lecturer has confirmed.

Last week, Rumbek and Dr. John Garang Memorial universities suspended examinations over unpaid salary arrears.

In response, the students barricaded the road leading to the town, and marched to the office of the Governor of Jonglei State demanding for a solution.

A lecturer at the University of Rumbek says they have received the first payment of the new salary structure and the varsity has resumed normal operations.

Deng Meen says the government should clear the remaining four-month arrears to avoid another strike.

“The Ministry of Finance has remitted one month’s salary into the university account and the university calls on the academic staff to release the timetable for the students to sit exams next week,” Deng told Eye Radio from Rumbek on Tuesday.

“The timetable is released on a condition that if the other months’ unpaid salaries are not cleared within the examination period, the strike may resume on 9 December.”

Last month, vice chancellors of the five public universities warned government institutions of industrial action over delay in implementation of the new salary structure.

According to the new structure approved by the Council of Ministers in July, a professor would be paid over 500,000 SSP and a technician would earn over 100,000 SSP per month.

This is a significant increase from the current structure where a professor earns an equivalent of $153 per month.