The academic and non-academic staff of the University of Rumbek are still on strike despite receiving their one-month salary arrears.

Speaking to The City Review on Tuesday, Kot Manyuon Thuc, the acting chairperson of the Academic Staff Association, who also doubles up as a lecturer at the university, said they are still on industrial action even after the one-month pay was submitted since the money is just a portion of the arrears owed by government.

He confirmed that the tutors have never conducted lectures since the opening of the University on October 1 for the new academic year.

“We received one month salary. That is the December salary. It is not enough. It does not cover our debts. We are waiting for the government to clear all arrears in order for us to think of resuming a new year of academic activities,” he said, and added: “Up to now, the University administration is silent and the government also has been silent. No response at all. We only received this salary, which is very little. We cannot change our decision on continuing with our strikes.”

He said the university staff had run out of patience over the delay in salaries, and would not change their position unless all the arrears are paid.

“I think, the days of voluntarily services are over. Now, we are working under the government and since we are working under the government, we signed an agreement that we work for 30 days, and get our salaries paid.”

“We go for almost a year without salary and that’s not an agreement. It is a breach to a contract. There are some people who say what we are doing. It is our right, and the rest say negative things that we are not nationalists, that why do we stop lectures and many other things. But what I want to tell them is that if they withhold any payments then we have every right to withdraw our labor,” he said.

Kok Jacob Kok, a teaching assistant at the University, said the staff had opted for the action due to the challenges they had gone through during the ten months. “We started the strike since we last received only small amount of money and we are now down to 10 months without salary. Because of that, we have issues as lecturers and we decided to lay down our tools as we wait for the government to respond to our strikes,” Kok said.

He said the Academic Staff Association will be conducting meetings with the staff to give way forward, s they share their views.

“We tell them as lecturers, we received one month, and this one is not enough to cover all our needs. We have children who are in need of school fees. Our children are suffering, but we cannot get loans in the market,” he added.

“It can be a big challenge to even treat yourself if you cannot access money. If you are on a sick bed, no one will help you even with a penny to buy drugs. We hope the government will address the issues,” he said.

“I think, the days of voluntarily services are over. Now, we are working under the government and since we are working under the government, we signed an agreement that we work for 30 days, and get our salaries paid,” Kot Manyuon Thuc, the acting chairperson of the Academic Staff Association.