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

Lecturers at two public universities – the University of Bahr el Ghazal and Rumbek University of Science and Technology have threatened to go on strike if the government fails to increase their salaries within seven days.

The announcement by the lecturers to lay down their tools, comes two weeks after they issued a joint statement demanding the increment of their salary to meet the current market rate of SSP 629 for 1 US dollar.

Bol Maker, who is the acting staff chairperson of academic staff at the University of Bahr el Ghazal says lecturers and support staff of the university will lay their tools on Monday if the government fails again to meet their demands.

“Today, we have conducted a brief meeting of all the supporting staff of the university in order to deliberate the current situation, which has been led by the teaching staff association,” said Maker.

“The meeting came out with a resolution that all the staff of the university will support the academic staff association, and from today onward, they will lay down their tools together with the academic staff on Monday if the demands are not met and this is the message I would send because I am representing them.”

Rumbek University of Science and Technology also issued a seven-day ultimatum for the Service Cluster under President Hussein Abdelbagi to resolve their grievances.

In a statement seen by Eye Radio, the Academic staff of Rumbek University of Science and Technology said the government has until Friday, December 9, 2022, to respond to their demands or they will go on strike.

“The general assembly meeting has given seven days to the service cluster starting 1st to 9th December 2022 to resolve the matter,” the letter quotes.

“We need an urgent implementation of new salary scale according to the central bank rate of 629 South Sudanese Pounds for 1 dollar.”

The lecturers are also demanding salary arrears that have not been paid since July this year.

Their other demands are increased medical allowances and travel tickets as well as allowances for the training of teaching staff.

The tutors say will call off the strike if the government agree to all their demands.