–As Gov’t plans elaborate July 26 celebrations
By Our Staff Writer
Both the faculty and employees of the state-owned University of Liberia (UL) are on the verge of staging a strike action, protesting against delay in the payment of salaries and recent pay cut.
In a statement released to the media on Friday, July 19, 2019, the UL faculty and employees outlined several “crucial issues” facing them, which they say “warrant the attention of all academicians.” And they have vowed to begin a strike on Monday, July 22, 2019, if they don’t get redress.
The looming workers’ unrest at the University comes hard on the heels of worsening financial and logistical problems the institution has been experiencing, ever since President George Manneh Weah introduced his “free tuition” scheme last for the UL and all public universities and colleges in Liberia. The Liberian leader is visitor to the University of Liberia.
Tuition paid by students have been used to cover operational expenses and other expenditures, something which has not been forthcoming for a protracted period in recent times.
According to the UL faculty and staff, they had earlier communicated their grievances to the University’s administration and UL President Dr. Ophelia Weeks without redress to date. There is so far no reaction from the UL authorities.
“Those concerns were succinctly articulated in a correspondence sent to the University of Liberia’s Administration and the President of the University of Liberia, Dr. Weeks, on July 18, 2019. Contain therein were the following:
- That the June and July salaries, allowances and benefits of all employees be credited to their various accounts held at the individual banks on or before Friday July 19, 2019;
- That all monies deducted from the faculty and employees’ salaries accounts which are owed by the University are to be paid in full on or before July 19, 2019;
- That the University of Liberia be exempted from the Pro-poor salary deduction scheme;
- That Adjunct Professors/ Instructors receive their salaries, allowances and benefits as per the time stipulated in the contracts with the University.”
Final exams at the nation’s highest institution of learning have meanwhile, been disrupted in the wake of the latest industrial action.
“In view of the above, the Faculty members of the University of Liberia have deemed it expedient to disengage from all academic activities beginning July 22, 2019 until all of the above listed concerns can be addressed by the University’s Administration. Accordingly, please be informed that no Faculty Member will be allowed to Administer Final Exam until otherwise ordered,” said Friday’s statement released by the UL faculty and staff.
The planned UL faculty and employees’ strike comes as the CDC government concludes massive preparations for an elaborate 172nd Independence Day celebrations of Liberia on July 26, 2019.