By Mustapha Sesay
Fourah Bay College lecturers late yesterday called off their sit-down strike which had gone on for almost two weeks. Lectures resume today - 14 March.
According to a letter from the Registrar of the University of Sierra Leone, Sorie Dumbuya to the Academic Staff Association (ASA), the deal was reached “following a series of meetings brokered by the FBC Alumni Association” between the university and the Academic Staff Association.
Under the terms of the agreement, the university will pay all leave allowances in July this year, “effect a five percent across the board increase on what remains of the 2011 negotiated salary package” and pay the rest at the end of the 2016/17 academic year.
Vice President of ASA, Ambrose Rogers paid glowing tribute to the negotiations led by the new President of the FBC Alumni Association, Umaru Fofana.
“We are now returning to class and we hope the terms of the agreement are met as stipulated since we have only suspended" the industrial action, Rogers told Politico.
“It was a tough negotiation process but we are happy that all sides have now reached an agreement,” says the Alumni President, Umaru Fofana.
In a press release by the association, he said it was “a win for especially the students who had had their lectures suspended for three weeks to allow them time to register just for them to be caught up in the strike”.
Speaking to Politico, Fofana expressed understanding with the position of the striking lectures saying their agreed pay package should have been settled since October 2014, but also empathised with the university administration which he said was having “serious financial challenges with the fee subsidies paid by the central government not yet in pending complete registration of all students”, something that is still ongoing.
Students have welcomed the resumption of lectures. “We are relieved and hope we can complete our syllabuses on time” says second year student who gave his name only as Alusine.
(C) Politico 14/04/16
