Upper Nile University staffs go on strike over salary discrepancy
The academic staffs of Upper Nile University have laid down tools demanding adjustment of their salaries to the current dollar exchange rate in the Central Bank.
Dr. Pio Kur Deng, Academic Staff Association Chairperson confirmed on Tuesday the indefinite industrial action was agreed upon in the General Assembly Extra-Ordinary meeting of last year.
“We are going for our indefinite industrial action from today, just to speed up the process for the adjustment of our salaries, it’s not only the adjustment of the salaries because we have also demanded the annual ticket allowances,” he told The Juba Echo in Juba by phone.
He said that they need an urgent adjustment scale according to the current Bank inflation rate (6.29 per 1 dollar) of the Central Bank of South Sudan.
In addition, Deng said they are demanding immediate payment of annual ticket allowances which was approved on 19th July for fiscal year 2019/2020-2021-2022.
“On 19th July 2019, it (increased salary) was approved together with the current salary which we are receiving now, but we haven’t received it (ticket allowance) since 2019.”
He said that they will not resume teaching until their demands are addressed by the government.
Last year, public universities released a joint statement addressed to the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, demanding an increase of medical allowance, ticket fares, and training to be included in the new salary scale.
