Ten tertiary institutions across the country have on Thursday 28th January 2021, issued a seven days ultimatum to government to re-open all tertiary institutions across the country or face a peaceful protest.
The ultimatum was issued as a result of the industrial strike action by the lecturers of the ten tertiary institutions which has lasted for a few months.
The Lecturers are demanding a 100% increment in their salary, which they say has not been reviewed since 2011.
In a press release dated Thursday 28th January 2021, the student’s representative council stated that it was time for government to intervene to end the lecturers strike.
They maintained that they have held several engagements with stakeholders in the education sector, but that all their efforts have not yielded the expected result.
The students therefore called on lecturers and government to speedily resolve the issue so that they can return to normal activities.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Tertiary and Higher Education, the students mentioned the Limkokwing University, which is also unresolved for over a year now.
The Sierra Leone Labour Congress has also expressed concern over the “prolonged impasse” between lecturers and government over their salary issue.
Labour Congress called on government to speedily negotiate the proposal put forward by lecturers urging government to come up with a “payment plan” to address the issue.
Students Union President, College of Medicine and the Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), Dwight Jeremiah Hindowa Nicole, said it was time for the students to come out and protest in the next seven days.
SS/1/2/2021
By sulaiman.sesay@awokonewspaper.sl