FREETOWN – Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, says Government remains committed to dialogue even as academic staff in public tertiary institutions have commenced an indefinite nationwide strike.
Public universities and polytechnics across the country were thrown into uncertainty today, Tuesday, September 16, after the Union of Academic Staff Associations (UASA) made good its threat to withdraw services over unmet demands, including a 100% salary increment and improved conditions of service.
The union said the action followed the expiration of a 21-day notice served on Government on August 13, after what it described as fruitless engagements with the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), the Conference of Vice Chancellors and Principals (CVCP), and the Wages and Compensation Commission (WCC).
But responding to the development, Minister Wurie expressed concern that the strike went ahead while engagements were still ongoing.
“The Ministry recognises and respects the concerns raised by academic staff and appreciates their important contribution to higher education and to His Excellency the President’s Human Capital Development agenda,” she said.
She outlined Government’s interventions in the sector in recent years, noting that lecturers benefited from a 75% salary increase in 2021, implemented in three instalments and compounded to about 87%, followed by a further 15% increase in 2025.
According to the Minister, Government currently pays about 83% of lecturers’ salaries, including leave allowances, and has maintained timely payment of salaries.
“Government must operate within the country’s fiscal realities and carefully consider what can be afforded and sustained,” Dr. Wurie explained. “The request for a further salary review is receiving consideration, and Government remains committed to constructive dialogue rather than closing the door to engagement.”
She confirmed that her Ministry, together with the CVCP and other relevant authorities, will meet with the leadership of UASA on Wednesday in a bid to find a common ground.
“Through mutual respect and good-faith dialogue, we can work towards a solution in the interests of academic staff, students, and the higher education sector as a whole,” she added.
The strike has left thousands of students across the University of Sierra Leone, Njala University, Ernest Bai Koroma University and other public technical and vocational institutions uncertain about when academic activities will resume.
