By Chernor Alimamy Kamar
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie dated 9th August 2023, members of the Union of Academic Staff Associations (UASA) of public tertiary institutions in Sierra Leone have resolved to withhold their service if their Conditions of Service (COS) are not addressed.
In their letter, they said Government negotiated and prevailed to take over the emoluments of tertiary institutions for a pilot period of two years subject to review after that period. It said the takeover was 80% of salaries, leaving 20% of allowances on the Universities to pay their staff and the remaining staff who were not listed on the Accountant General’s Payroll.
The payment structure has left a huge burden on the Universities to pay the remaining staff allowances and the outstanding staff and the problems have been compounded by the Government owing the Universities Billions of Leones as fees for the Sierra Leone Government Grant-in-Aid (SLG) while subventions to Universities are not forthcoming, the letter noted.
“As Academic Staff, we are gravely affected by these problems as the Universities Authorities are not able to pay our colleagues and allowances in/on time. We have resolved that either the Ministry of Finance takes over all the salaries of the Universities Staff or handover funds for payment to the University Authorities for all the University staff,” part of the letter reads.
The letter pointed out that ASA negotiated their salaries in 2020 in which a 75% salary adjustment was paid in tranches of 50% and 25% implemented in 2021 and 2022 respectively. It stated that based on the prevailing circumstances, the value of the increment has become obsolete and the rate of inflation in the country has overtaken the increment.
In view of the aforementioned issues highlighted, ASA resolved in the letter that government makes a 100% increment in the salaries of University Staff to salvage the deplorable conditions of University Staff.
It quoted the University COS which stipulated a rent allowance, which has not been paid by the Ministry of Finance since the takeover of salaries, and approved increment that was made in 2020. It further said that there is also a provision for promotions through a process approved by the University Court.
“Since 2021 the rent allowances have not been paid by the Government and staff promoted since 2019 are to be paid their new salaries, part of the letter states.
ASA referenced other colleagues of Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU), Eastern Technical University (ETU), Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology (EBKUST), and Government Technical Institute (GTI), Kissy that were upgraded to Universities and Polytechnics to not have been paid their severance benefits.
The Association in the letter resolved that the Government pays with immediate effect the 30% rent allowances, the new scale of salaries for promoted staff and their backlogs, and the severance benefits of MMTU, UBKUST, ETU, and GTI staff that were upgraded to Universities and Polytechnic.
It also expressed concern in the COS for promotions for Academic and Senior Administrative Staff that the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) that supervises the Universities came up with New Criteria for promotions where UASA was invited to a meeting and raised a lot of concerns.
UASA reiterated that they have used diplomacy in dealing with the university authorities and the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) to put the implementation of the new criteria for promotion on hold until the enabling environment is created for staff to work towards their promotions.
According to UASA, the MTHE acknowledged their request and wrote a letter urging the Universities to put on hold their implementation of the New Criteria until after 2024. It however stated that some Universities have gone against the appeals and concerns to stifle their promotions.
