Dec 10, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — The University of Bahr el Ghazal workers want the government to remit their eight months’ salary arrears within one week or else they will take alternative measures.
The University staff said that they have gone for months without pay and now it is becoming hard for them to survive.
“Our biggest issue is that of salaries. When you are not paid for 8 months, how can you survive? I appeal to the government of South Sudan to pay us our salaries, even for three or four months, this would help a little,” the chairperson of the university’s workers union and a lecturer, Daniel Malok explained.
Malok appealed to the government to pay all civil servants their dues as the holidays are fast approaching.
“Christmas is approaching and people have children who expect to celebrate. So I appeal to the government to pay salary arrears for not only the university but all civil servants,” Malok said.
The university’s workers union secretary-general wondered why the workers are not being paid yet the country signed a peace deal in 2018.
“Peace was signed in 2018 and we now have peace so it is unfair that we have not been paid. It would have been understandable if there was war but we now have peace so there is no reason not to pay civil servants,” Maker lamented.
Some of the workers threatened to take alternative measures if their salary arrears are not paid in one week’s time
“What kind of government employs people without pay? If they want to fire us they better do it because government work is not done for free,” they said.
A university employee who preferred anonymity wondered whether the president listens to the plight of the people.
“Doesn’t the president of the republic not hear about the plight of the people? If there are people not doing their work, let him fire them,” the employee said.
