Teachers’ strike continues in Bor over pay rise

November 22, 2016 (BOR) – Teachers in Bor, the capital of South Sudan’s Jonglei state protested, calling for pay rise and demanded the state government to reverse the termination of their 11 members.

The new chairman of the teachers’ steering committee, Ruben Matuor Mayom, in a petition, addressed to the office of the governor, explained contents of their letter to the media on Tuesday.

“The first claim made by the teachers’ general assembly is the reinstatement of all the 11 committee members who were sent by the teachers general assembly to present their grievances to the state ministry of education, these people were suspended and then terminated by the minister of education”, explained the Matuor.

Some teachers, both in primary and secondary schools, had been employed without appointment letters since 2005. The teachers are now demanding their appointments to be prepared and given out.

The teachers are also demanding pay rise as prescribed in the Republican order, issued some months back, granting salary increment for the government staff serving in grade 10 and below. This order had not been implemented, according to teachers.

“Since the ministry of education has failed to solve teachers’ problems, this is why the teachers came up to governor to seek for a solution”, stressed the chairman of the steering committee.

Meanwhile, the state minister of information, Akech Deng, said government will look into issues bothering teachers and find remedies.

“The governor will read the demands of the teachers, and then the council of ministers or the leadership of Jonglei state will sit down and look into the issues that the teachers have raised. From there, it will be a dialogue, we are going to dialogue with them”, Akech said.

“The national budget is not passed yet; it is after the budget is passed that change will be seen. For sure now, with the economic crisis, everybody is feeling it, not only teachers”, she added.

The minister advised teachers not to let down students, much as they have put forward their demands for better working conditions.

(ST)