Khartoum University staff to strike against sacking of lecturers

May 13, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The Union of Khartoum University Professors has decided to stage a three-day strike as of Saturday 19 May to protest the firing of 152 faculty members.

The Union accused in a statement issued last week the university’s administration of having selectively chosen to dismiss “the youngest, most giving, and most qualified” faculty members.

It described the decision as “anarchist”, asserting that it failed to follow institutional procedures and came at a time at which the university was suffering from a deficiency in qualified teachers.

The statement said the decision contravenes the directives by the president of the republic to raise the retirement age for university professors from 60 to 65 years.

Following a meeting of the union board on May 10, Abbas Taha Hamza, a member of the board, criticized the administration’s performance and accused it of insulting professors.

(ST)