Entrance of the University of Bahr el Ghazal | Credit | Gurtong

The University of Bahr el Ghazal has appealed to the national government to immediately ensure that the pending new salary structure is passed and implemented.

In September, the cabinet approved 658 billion in a 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 parliament, despite its approval by the cabinet.

Joseph Lual Dario, the chairperson of the Academic Staffs Association at the regional university said his staff have waited patiently enough since approval of the budget.

According to him, they have been receiving the old salary structure and with the old bank rate, in “utter” failure to fulfill promises made by the ministers of finance and higher education

Lual said the university assembly has called for urgent implementation of the new salary structure according to the current bank rate in one week’s time, or the university would take “industrial action.”

“The first resolution is that there should be an urgent implementation of the new salary scale according to bank rate 629 SSP per Dollar within one week up to date 6,” he said.

“And on date 7 we will call general assembly if nothing is seen and we shall declare the industrial action,” he further said and added that the lecturers deserve good service to improve their lives.

On Wednesday, an SPLM- IO member of parliament representing Cuibet County reminded the August House that it was supposed to pass a supplementary budget this month to address the needs of civil servants and organized forces.

In response, Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba clarified on October 26, that the delay is to be blamed on the executive.

“The bills do not originate from the parliament, the budget does not originate from the parliament, it originates from the executive, you know exactly what’s the problem is. The executive does not bring new salary structure of the civil servants.”