RUMBEK-Lectures of Rumbek University of Science and Technology held a protest at the main campus over the delay by the government to pay their outstanding salaries and benefits.
The lecturers are demanding the release of the arrears of January 2024.
Benjamin Matur Madit, teaching academic staff at Rumbek University, said they would call off the strike if their salaries for January 2024 are paid.
“Mr. President, you have made an order that every civil servant in South Sudan must receive a salary on time. Rumbek University of Science and Technology became exceptional,” Madit told Sudans Post on Thursday.
“We have not received our salaries since you made your orders, and indeed, the central bank made it for the rest of the civil servants to receive. But the University of Rumbek of Science and Technology did not receive it up to now,” he said.
Garnop Makur, another lecturer, asked explanations for why Rumbek University did not receive its 2024 January salary but five state universities did.
“We have been waiting to know exactly between the administration of the university, the ivory bank, and the ministry how time goes without being paid, because we know when the national government disbursed money, Makur said.
Makur revealed that because their salaries aren’t being paid on time, instructors are having trouble getting their kids enrolled in school.
“You know, we have skipped a month of December; that’s a demanding month for all of us to pay our kids, to buy those clothes, and to do good things for them. But the month of December elapsed, waiting for our salary to come,” he said.
He claimed they are unable to pay off the numerous debts they have accrued.
“We thought that we would recover a deficit because we had taken a loan from other people, so that we recover alone, but the salary is still yet delayed, not unveiled up to this time.”.
The other public institutions have already received their January 2024 salaries, according to Kot Manyuon Thuc, the University Acting Chairperson Academic Staff Association.
